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For  ThtnKing  People. 

RECIPROCITY 

(SOCIAL  AND  ECONOMIC) 


IN   THE 


THIRTIETH  CENTURY 


THE  COMING  CO-OPERATIVE  AGE 


A  Forecast  of  the  World's  Futtjek 
By  WILLIAM  WONDER. 


Tze-Kung-    asked,    saying:     "Is    there    one    -word 

which    may    serve    as    a   rule    of    practice    for    all 

one's   life?"      The    Master  said:    "Is  not  becipkocitt 

such    a   word?      What   you    do    not    want    done    to 

yourself,  do  not  do  to  others." — Confucian  Analects. 


THE  COCHRANE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

Tbibune  Building,  New  Yobk. 

1909. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1908, 

By  Thomas  Kibwan. 

(All  Rights    Reserved.) 


CONTENTS. 

Preface. 

Page. 

Introduction, 

.     .     .     i-vi 

Chapter  I.  —  By  Way  of  Preamble  —  An  Eventful 
Journey  and  Curious  Experience,      ....         7 

Chapter  II.  —  Sun  Invocation  —  Visiting  the  Town 

Mansion  —  A  Sun-Cooked  Dinner,     .     .     ,     .      31 

Chapter  III. — A  Tilt   at   Windmills,   and   Other 

Things  of  General  Interest, 68 

Chapter  IV. —  Woman's  Work  in  the  Commune  — 
Training  Children  in  Schools  —  Marriage  — 
Varied  Industries, 95 

Chapter  V.  —  Visiting  Underground  Ways  —  The 

Town  Farm  and  Town^Stores  —  Finance,    .     .    126 

Chapter  VI.  —  The  Patriarch's  Sunday  Sermon  — 

How  Thirtieth  Century  Houses  are  Built,  .     .152 

Chapter  VII. —  Sociological  Talk — Air-Ship  in 
View  —  Telephone  Wonders  —  Airy  Flight  and 
Great  Peril  —  The  Awakening, 187 


PREFACE. 

This  is  a  work  of  fiction,  but  not  a  novel.  It  is  a  love 
story,  but  on  a  scale  beyond  mere  individual  or  sexual 
affection  —  it  is  of  love  of  fellow  man. 

It  may  be  thought  that  it  portrays  a  condition  of  soci- 
ety that  would  constitute  a  Quaker  world.  But  a  world 
of  peace,  good  will  and  brotherly  co-operation  among 
men  would  seem  to  be  an  improvement  on  the  world  of 
competition  and  strife  which  we  have  at  the  present  day. 

Is  it  not  well  to  picture  a  better  world,  an  earthly 
heaven,  even  at  the  risk  of  being  deemed  visionary? 

To  those  opposed  to  or  who  fear  "modernism,"  or  free 
thought  and  inquiry  outide  the  bounds  of  orthodoxy,  it 
may  not  be  acceptable.  Such  good  people  would  better 
not  read  it. 

But  to  the  lover  of  the  human  kind,  of  equal  rights 
and  a  "  square  deal,"  it  may  afford  food  for  reflection. 

It  treats  of  what  may  be  and  should  be  in  a  coming 
age  of  intellectual  and  moral  advancement  —  an  age  of 
co-operative  social  and  industrial  brotherhood  among 
plain  and  right  living  people  —  a  mythless  and  super- 
stitionless  age. 

Plain  men  and  women  are  dealt  with  in  it,  "ladies" 
and  "gentlemen,"  as  complimentary  or  conventional 
titles,  being  out  of  keeping  with  the  simple  dignity  of 
the  manhood  and  womanhood  of  a  truly  democratic  and 
common  sense  people. 

Finally,  the  aim  of  this  work  is  to  incite  people  to 
THINK! 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  inspiration  of  this  work  is  derived  from  a  long 
life  of  observation  of  social  and  industrial  development 
during  an  era  of  the  most  remarkable  progress  in  the 
world's  history,  namely,  from  a  time  antedating  the 
middle  of  the  19th  century  to  the  early  years  of  the  20th 
century  —  more  than  seventy  years  of  active  existence. 

Four  things  to  be  noted  in  that  period  are  — 

First,  The  wonderful  development  of  industrial  power 
through  the  steam  engine. 

Second,  The  progress  of  invention,  and  employment 
of  machinery  in  the  arts. 

Third,  The  development  of  a  system  of  public  education. 

Fourth,  The  self-conscious  awakening  of  the  working 
classes  in  America  and  Europe,  due  to  better  education 
and  more  enlightenment  as  to  human  rights,  and  their 
participation  in  the  activities  of  government. 

Steam  power  has  not  only  revolutionized  the  older 
methods  of  production,  but  it  has,  with  the  development 
of  machinery,  so  greatly  increased  the  productive  ca- 
pacity of  the  industrial  nations  of  the  world  that  it  gives 
hopeful  promise  of  immunity  from  grinding  drudgery  to 
the  workers  of  the  future. 

Keeping  pace  with  the  development  of  the  steam  en- 
gine has  been  the  invention  of  machinery.  To  such  an 
extent  has  this  development  taken  place  that  now  the 
real  artificer  is  the  automatic  machine,  man  being  only 
the  director  and  attendant. 

Within  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  a  new  form  of 


U  INTRODUCTION. 

energy  has  been  developed,  which  promises  in  the  not 
very  distant  future  to  supplant  even  steam  power.  This 
is  electricity,  now  extensively  produced  by  steam  power, 
but  also  quite  largely  by  water  power,  and  to  some  ex- 
tent by  wind  power.  These  forces,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, are  all  derived  from  the  energy  of  our  parent  Sun. 
The  time  is  coming  when  the  coal  measures  will  be  ex- 
hausted, and  water,  wind,  tide,  and  power  derived  from 
passing  vegetation,  will  have  to  be  availed  of. 

The  system  of  general  education,  which  is  permeating 
and  quickening  the  masses  of  Europe,  America,  Australia, 
South  Africa  and  New  Zealand,  is  silently  but  surely  aid- 
ing in  the  moulding  of  a  race  of  men  of  more  intelligence 
and  nobler  characteristics.  The  results  of  this  develop- 
ment are  to  be  seen  in  every  form  of  industry,  in  every 
phase  of  social  life.  A  superior  class  of  engineers,  me- 
chanics, inventors,  operatives  and  even  laborers,  is  being 
developed  under  the  improved  systems  of  education. 

It  may  be  true  that  the  various  systems  of  education 
in  vogue  are  still  imperfect,  but  enough  progress  has 
been  made  to  show  that  the  persistent  quest  after  new 
methods  will  bear  better  fruitage,  for  all  methods  which 
are  improvements  result  from  tentative  activities. 

The  trend  now  in  educational  methods  is  in  the  direc- 
tion of  industrialism — polytechnical  and  trade  schools  — 
which  will  undoubtedly  in  time  replace  the  present  lead- 
ing methods,  retaining  their  best  features  as  part  of  the 
new  system. 

The  self-conscious  awakening  of  the  working  classes 
throughout  the  civilized  world,  it  may  be  assumed,  is  one 


INTRODUCTIOF.  in 

of  the  important  results  of  modern  education  and  conse- 
quent enlightenment.  The  working  people  of  this  age, 
equipped  with  an  intelligence  which  guides  them  to  con- 
sider the  most  available  means  of  bettering  their  con- 
dition and  securing  for  themselves  a  more  equitable  pro- 
portion of  the  rewards  of  their  industry  than  they  now 
receive  under  the  wage  system,  have  been  manifesting  this 
dominant  desire  in  various  ways,  such  as  by  forming 
trades  unions  or  associations  for  co-operative  efforts  to 
obtain  better  compensation  for  their  labor. 

There  is  another  and  more  advanced  class  of  laborers 
who  are  not  satisfied  with  the  scope  of  trades'  unionism, 
but  are  for  a  federation  not  only  of  all  workers  politically 
in  their  own  country,  but  an  international  federation  of 
all  working  men  for  a  common  end.  This  class  of  pro- 
gressive workers  is  known  as  Socialists. 

The  Socialists  have  had,  and  still  have,  in  their  ranks 
men  of  the  highest  mentality  and  broadest  calibre,  whose 
studies  of  and  writings  on  political  economy  have  made 
those  of  the  earlier  writers  on  the  subject  appear  more 
confusing  than  enlightening.  They  (the  Socialists) 
have  established  propagandist  centres  in  Europe,  America 
and  other  advanced  sections  of  the  world,  and  spread  their 
doctrines  by  means  of  periodical  publications  and  works 
on  Socialism  and  political  economy,  most  of  which  are 
of  a  readable  and  enlightening  nature. 

The  Socialists  advocate  radical  changes  in  prevailing 
governmental  and  industrial  systems,  but  the  revolution 
thus  advocated  by  them  is  not  of  the  nature  that  people 
commonly  associate  with  that  term.     They  do  not  mean 


TV  INTRODUCTION. 

that  it  shall  be  accomplished  through  violence  —  brought 
about  by  bullets  and  carnage  —  but  by  ballots  in  the 
hands  of  the  enfranchised,  backed  by  enlightened  public 
opinion,  and  peaceful  methods  of  legislation. 

In  other  words,  as  I  understand  it,  the  Socialists  aim 
to  obtain  through  legislative  enactment  all  the  vast  and 
various  industries  and  systems  of  transportation,  all  the 
lands,  buildings  and  all  other  kinds  of  fixed  property,  for 
the  use  and  benefit  of  the  whole  people  —  to  make  them 
public  property,  in  fact.  In  doing  this  they  do  not  pro- 
pose to  despoil  or  expropriate  the  property  of  any  one 
without  just  compensation,  but  (as  is  the  present  usage  in 
the  operation  of  the  law  of  eminent  domain)  that  gov- 
ernment should  take  them,  pay  for  them  a  just  valuation, 
and  occupy  and  operate  them  by  the  people  for  the  use 
and  benefit  of  all  the  people.  It  is  a  most  fascinating 
scheme  for  altruistic  endeavor. 

Assuming  that  this  theory  (for  it  is  as  yet  only  such) 
will  ultimately  become  a  practical  reality,  for  it  appears 
to  be  based  ui)on  the  broad  ethics  of  justice  and  human- 
ity, the  following  work  has  been  predicated. 

This  work  may,  in  the  existing  light  of  the  world,  be 
looked  upon  as  a  dream  of  Utopia,  and  perhaps  it  is;  but 
if  it  has  not  a  justification  in  the  recent,  present  and 
prospective  developments  in  the  political,  industrial  and 
social  affairs  among  civilized  peoples  and  the  rapid 
spread  of  civilization  among  the  backward  races,  then 
the  writer  has  anticipated  and  estimated  most  illogically. 

The  united  will  and  energy  of  the  people,  when  wisely 
directed,  will  accomplish  wonderful  results.     Unity  of 


INTEODUCTION'.  "V 

action  in  electing  to  the  law-making  branches  of  govern- 
ment only  men  pledged  to  make  such  enactments  as  will 
give  "  a  square  deal "  in  the  struggle  for  existence,  is 
essential  to  the  success  of  all  popular  movements  by 
peaceful  means.  Economic  changes,  we  are  told,  always 
precede  political  revolutions.  The  Social  revolution  will 
be  both  economic  and  political. 

The  path  of  progress  for  the  workers  of  the  world  is 
through  legislation,  not  through  strife  and  bloodshed. 

The  man  of  the  future  will  not  be  warlike.  In  him 
the  instinct  of  the  savage  will  have  been  eliminated  by 
ancestral  generations  of  peace-loving  brotherhood  among 
men.  Co-operative  will  succeed  competitive  industry, 
and  the  incentives  for  aggression  as  well  as  need  of  de- 
fence will  be  non-existent. 

In  this  work  I  have  outlined  a  system  of  education 
which  should  logically  accord  with  the  highly  industrial 
conditions  of  a  commune  like  the  one  outlined,  with  va- 
riety enough  of  rational  amusements  —  entertaining  and 
also  instructive  —  to  suit  all  tastes,  all  ages,  and  give  a 
zest  and  flavor  of  enjoyment  to  life. 

The  treatment  of  the  criminal  and  insane  suggested  in 
the  book  as  pertaining  to  the  coming  ages,  while  merci- 
ful and  wise,  is  also  properly  considerate  of  the  welfare 
of  society.  The  most  available  method  of  eliminating 
vicious  and  undesirable  elements  from  the  population  is 
confinement  for  chronic  habits  of  crime  and  for  lunacy, 
and  consequent  prevention  of  propagation  ;  for  the  taint 
of  heredity  is  not  alone  confined  to  physical  degeneracy 
but  to  mental  and  moral  deterioration,  and  is  so  potent 


TI  INTRODUCTION. 

and  persistent  that  even  a  favorable-to-reforra  environ- 
ment will  fail  to  remedy  it  and  fit  the  unfortunate  sub- 
ject for  rational  participation  in  the  concerns  of  normal 
world-life. 

Marriage  and  other  social  customs  treated  are  to  some 
extent,  it  is  believed,  an  improvement  on  existing  ones. 
A  word  of  explanation  in  regard  to  the  decadence  of 
the  God  religions  of  today.  The  world  will  change  in 
this  respect  in  the  coming  ten  centuries  as  it  has  in  the 
past  twenty  or  thirty.  The  old  religions  of  the  so-called 
heathen  world,  with  their  men-made  gods,  have  been  re- 
legated to  the  limbo  of  the  dead  past.  Yet  in  their  day 
of  dominance  they  controlled  and  swayed  vast  numbers 
of  mankind.  They  lived  their  time  of  usefulness,  and  in 
the  process  of  evolution  were  superseded  by  other  forms 
of  superstition,  some  of  which  still  survive.  These,  in 
their  turn,  will  inevitably  go  the  way  of  all  myths,  and 
mankind,  emancipated  from  such  mental  bondage,  will 
rejoice  in  the  freedom  of  a  rational  existence. 

If  this  consummation  cannot  be  expected  in  our  day,  it  is 
a  pleasing  hope  that  future  generations  will  yet  realize  it. 
Then  let  us  pray  that  come  it  may, 

As  come  it  will  for  a'  that, 
That  sense  and  worth,  o'er  a'  the  earth, 

May  bear  the  gree,  and  a'  that; 
For  a'  that,  and  a'  that, 

It's  coming  yet  for  a'  that, 
That  man  to  man,  the  world  o'er, 

Shall  brothers  be  for  a'  that,     [Rob't  Burns. 

Thk  Author. 


RECIPROCITY: 

THE  COMING  CO-OPERATIVE  AGE. 


CHAPTER  1. 

By  Way  of  Preamble.  —  An  Eventful  Joueney  and 

Curious  Experience. 

Is  there  such  a  mental  phenomenon  as  prescience,  or 
the  anticipation  of  events?  The  Greeks  and  Romans 
had  their  oracles,  their  soothsayers  and  sibyls,  who,  it 
may  be  noted,  are  represented  in  this  age  by  spiritests, 
psychologists,  and  others  claiming  peculiar  mental  and 
spiritual  endowments. 

The  Jews  had  their  prophets,  who  were  imitated  later, 
even  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  era.  All  these  so- 
called  or  pretended  prophets  had  their  believers  and  fol- 
lowers, and  many  honest  people  still  believe  them  to 
have  been  endowed  with  some  measure  of  inspiration, 
even  if  most  of  their  predictions  as  yet  remain  unfulfilled. 
There  is,  for  example,  the  persistent  anticipation  of  a 
beatific  condition  of  things  which  is  to  prevail  in  the  un- 
certain future,  popularly  expressed  in  the  optimism, 
"There's  a  good  time  coming,"  the  condition  for  the  ad- 
vent of  which  is  "wait  a  little  longer,"  and  the  "boys" 
are  still  awaiting  its  coming. 

In  the  early  Christian  times  a  millenium  was  predicted, 
when  Christ  would  come  again  to  earth,  reign  for  a  thous- 
and years,  and  only  the  saints  would  inhabit  the  earth ; 
but  he  has  not  yet  materialized,  though  even  to  this  day 


8  RECIPROCITY. 

there  are  many  good  people  who  look  forward  to  the 
"  second  coming  of  Christ "  with  a  confidence  and  hope- 
fulness which  is  little  short  of  sublime. 

Whatever  the  significance  of  such  aspirations,  it  may 
he  admitted  that  they  have  a  singular  merit  in  the  fact 
that  they  aim  at  better  conditions  of  life  for  the  human 
race ;  at  least  they  furnish  evidence  that  there  are  minds 
of  such  peculiar  endowment  and  logical  bias  that  they 
can  deduce  from  acquired  knowledge  or  mental  concepts 
of  the  trend  of  moral,  social  and  industrial  affairs,  a  train 
of  sequential  development. 

With  these  premises,  I  would  ask  attention  to  what 
follows  —  the  record  of  what  may  be  termed  a  vision  of 
the  future,  or  perhaps  a  dream.  Have  I  dreamed  it,  or 
has  it  come  to  me  in  the  guise  of  prophecy  ?  You  shall 
judge.  I  can  not;  for  I  have  been  nursing  the  thing  so 
long  that  it  has  assumed  to  my  mind  a  more  than  half 
reality — a  kind  of  substantial  unsubstantiality,  if  such  a 
paradoxical  term  can  be  reconciled  with  the  critical  view. 

When  the  infant  awakens  to  the  objective  conditions 
of  life  he  does  not  at  first  comprehend  the  novelty  of  his 
environment,  having  had  no  antecedent  experience  for 
analogy ;  hence  his  latent  faculties,  slow  in  developing, 
take  years  to  mature.  What  would  be  his  impression, 
however,  if  he  came  into  the  world  with  his  faculties  of 
observation  and  deduction  fully  developed  —  as  if  trans- 
lated from  one  adult  stage  of  existence  to  another  and  a 
radically  different  one  ? 

It  will,  of  course,  be  said  that  such  an  hypothesis  is 
preposterous,  because  it  assumes  an  impossibility.     Per- 


EECIPEOCITY.  9 

haps,  however,  it  may  be  less  absurd  and  more  to  the 
purpose  to  suppose  that  one,  whom  we  may  term  a  bar- 
barian, but  with  an  acute  and  observing  mind,  should  be 
suddenly  translated  from  a  barbaric  environment  into  a 
most  highly  civilized  community  and  brought  in  contact 
with,  to  him,  new  and  striking  customs,  educational  and 
industrial  arts,  social  refinements  and  pleasing  manners. 

The  comparison  in  the  present  case  may  more  proper- 
ly apply  to  the  barbarian  hypothesis,  for  my  vision,  in 
some  respects,  has  translated  me,  not  into  existing  new 
and  more  highly  developed  lands  and  peoples,  but  into 
familiar  scenes,  under  new  and  greatly  changed  con- 
ditions ;  changes  for  the  better,  in  which  may  be  noted  a 
radical  advance  toward  that  ideal  stage  of  human  prog- 
ress so  often  conceived  of  and  described  as  that  of  a 
"  golden  age "  —  a  condition  of  things  under  which  life 
may  be  rationally  enjoyed ;  where  the  clouds  and  glamor 
of  ignorance  and  sui^erstition  have  only  a  curious  tradi- 
tional existence,  as  fairy  tales  are  now  viewed ;  where  all 
who  think  and  plan  and  work  receive  their  just  share  of 
the  awards  for  thought,  skill  and  labor;  where  justice  to 
all  is  assured  by  all,  and  where  men  are  brothers  in  fact 
as  well  as  in  name. 

But  to  my  visional  theme.  You  may  call  it  \'isionary ; 
but  read  it,  my  friend,  and  then  you  will  be  better  quali- 
fied to  judge  of  its  merits.  As  to  title,  I  have  thought 
the  work  should  be  called  The  Electrical  Age,  for  in  it 
the  application  of  electricity  to  all  the  affairs  of  life  that 
require  power,  heat,  light,  chemical  action,  etc.,  is  all  but 
universal.     But  at  the  last  moment  I  have  thought  of  a 


10  REClPROCItr. 

more  comprehensive,  a  more  ethical  title  —  Reciprocity. 

This  is  the  story  as  I  shall  tell  it : 

Gliding  Into  Futurity. 

I  left  Boston  one  pleasant  morning  in  the  summer  of 
1907,  and  arrived  at  my  destination  in  Vermont,  some 
twelve  or  thirteen  miles  west  of  White  I?iH^er  Junction, 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  later  on  the  same  day  in  the 
year  2907.  'This  is  impossible,  absurd!'  you  wall  say; 
but  for  my  purpose  it  is  a  verity  in  a  way.  Let  me  ex- 
plain the  paradox  in  my  fashion,  if  you  please. 

On  the  road,  after  leaving  Boston's  immediate  suburbs, 
I  soon  became  conscious  of  a  change  in  the  usual  charac- 
teristics of  railway  travel.  The  noise  of  the  locomotive, 
its  puffing  of  steam,  smoke  and  cinders,  the  pounding  of 
the  wheels  on  the  rails,  the  jolting  and  jarring  of  the 
cars,  all  seemed  to  have  suddenly  ceased,  and  in  place  of 
the  swaying  and  noise  of  the  train  there  was  an  absence 
of  harsh  vibration,  as  if  the  train  were  sailing  on  a 
smooth  water  surface  or  gliding  through  the  air.  At  the 
same  time  there  was  a  sense  of  rapid  motion. 

Surprised  at  the  change,  I  looked  from  the  car  window 
and  was  bewildered  at  what  I  saw.  It  seemed  as  if  a 
panorama  of  mingled  landscape  and  open  framework  was 
rushing  past  with  a  velocity  that  left  little  more  than  a 
blur  on  the  sight.  At  times  the  picture  faded  into  dark- 
ness, as  if  the  train  were  passing  through  some  under- 
ground way. 

At  a  loss  to  account  for  what  I  saw,  I  turned  to  a  fel- 
low passenger  and  asked  for  information.  He  was  a 
well  dressed  and  noble  looking  man,  with  a  frank  and 


RECIPROCITY.  11 

kindly  countenance,  and  was  willing  to  enlighten  me. 

*  I  j"dge  by  your  speech  and  dress,'  he  said,  'that  you 
are  not  lamiliar  with  your  surroundings.  Are  you  not  a 
stranger  in  these  parts?' 

'  Pardon  me,  sir,'  I  said,  '  but  you  can  hardly  call  a 
man  a  strange  who  has  made  Boston  his  home  for  over 
sixty  years,  and  has  traveled  on  this  line  many  times  be- 
fore today;  but  I  will  confess  that  things  appear  strange 
to  me  now.  As  to  my  speech  and  dress,  I  wear  a  good 
tailor-made  suit,  and  feel  that  in  speech  I  am  not  behind 
this  twentieth  century — this  year  of  our  Lord  1907,' 

He  regarded  me  keenly  for  a  moment,  and  then,  with 
a  smile  of  compassion,  as  I  judged,  said :  '  That  is  a  very 
strange  statement,  my  brother,  passing  strange  ;  for  this 
year  counts  just  one  thousand  years  later  in  that  era  of 
the  world's  history — it  being  the  thirtieth  century,  2907.' 

<  One  thousand  years  later  I '  I  exclaimed,  '  that  is  im- 
possible ! '  and  I  looked  sharply  at  him  to  see  if  he  were 
quizzing  me. 

'It  may  seem  so  to  you,  for  what  reason  I  cannot  guess,' 
he  returned,  with  no  sign  of  banter  in  his  tone,  '  but  you 
will  pardon  me  for  saying  that  to  my  knowledge  it  is  a 
fact.' 

'  But  how  can  it  be  ?  Only  this  morning  I  read  in  a 
Washington  dispatch  to  the  Herald  President  Roose- 
velt had  — ' 

'  President  Roosevelt !  Why  he  was  one  of  the  early 
Presidents  of  the  Republic,  famous  as  peacemaker,  and 
as  such  his  name  is  honored  to  this  day.  There  have 
been   more  than  a  hundred  presidents  since  his  time. 


12  RECIPROCITY. 

How  strange ! '  And  be  seemed  to  regard  me  with  a 
puzzled  expression,  as  if  he  doubted  my  sanity,  but  was 
too  polite  to  give  expression  to  the  thought. 

*  Is  there  such  a  thing  as  resurrection  after  death,  or 
am  I  wandering  spirit?  But  I  have  no  recollection  of 
dying,'  I  said  to  myself;  and  then  aloud:  'Why, it  is  not 
fifteen  minutes  since  we  left  the  North  Station  in  Boston, 
and  I  have  not  been  asleep.  I  am  now  wide  awake,  and 
this  is  a  mystery.  Is  it  not  a  waking  dream?  I'm  not  a 
hasheesh  eater,  and  —  excuse  me,  are  you  a  real  person- 
age, a  flesh-and-blood  human  being?' 

He  smiled  at  my  question  and  said :  *  I  am  as  real  flesh 
and  blood  as  you  are.  Feel  me,  and  be  convinced,'  and 
he  extended  his  hand  and  clasped  mine  with  a  firm  yet 
gentle  pressure.  It  was  indeed  solid  flesh,  with  the 
blood  flowing  rhythmically  in  it. 

•  Well,'  he  said,  '  be  you  whom  you  may,  I  have  no 
disposition  to  doubt  your  word,  and  as  you  seem  uncer- 
tain in  regard  to  your  surroundings,  I  will  answer  your 
inquiries.  You  ask  why  there  is  apparently  little  or  no 
jolting  of  the  train,  and  yet  the  landscape  and  other  ob- 
jects seem  to  rush  past  with  a  blur.  We  are  now  going 
at  a  speed  of  one  hundred  miles  an  hour.  The  entire 
road  bed  is  under  cover,  roofed  over,  and  the  tracks  are 
as  nearly  straight  and  level  as  engineering  skill  can  make 
them.  There  are  no  short  curves.  To  accomplish  this, 
hills  and  mountains  have  been  tunneled,  and  the  road- 
bed over  valleys  raised.  The  windows  in  the  sides  of 
the  covering  structure  are  lowered  in  the  summer  season, 
but  closed  in  winter,  except   for  ventilating   purposes. 


RECIPKOCITY.  18 

This  is  to  keep  snow  off  the  tracks  in  winter.  The  traffic 
on  our  railways,  therefore,  is  never  obstructed.  The 
country  highways,  where  they  cross  the  railways,  go  over 
or  under  them.  There  can  be  no  collisions  with  motor 
vehicles  on  the  public  roads.  The  covering  structure  of 
the  tracks  has  concrete  foundations  and  a  superstructure 
and  roof  of  metal.     It  is  built  to  endure.' 

'Wonderful,'  I  said.  'How are  these  cars  propelled — 
by  what  power,  I  mean  ?' 

'  By  the  electric  current.' 

'  By  trolley  ?  —  overhead  wire  or  third  rail  ? ' 

<  Neither ;  the  current  is  produced  on  the  cars.' 

' How  is  it  generated? ' 

♦  The  power  is  derived  from  alcohol.  It  is  used  to  run 
engines  which  operate  generators.  These,  in  turn,  sup- 
ply current  to  electric  moters  which  propel  the  cars.' 

'Do  you  depend  on  alcohol  alone  for  the  power  to 
generate  the  electric  current?'  I  asked. 

'  No,  indeed,  except  for  motor  purposes.  We  employ 
water  and  wind  pressure  on  a  large  scale  for  electric  cur- 
rent production,  also  compressed  air ;  but  alcohol  is  most 
available  on  railways  and  on  large  freight  and  passenger 
vehicles,  where  it  is  more  economical  to  manufacture  the 
current  required  than  to  carry  storage  cells.  But,  I  am 
told,  we  are  about  to  realize  a  vast  improvement  in  the 
matter  of  electric  current  generation.  All  forms  of 
power  heretofore  employed  were  the  products  of  sun 
energy,  stored  or  manifested  in  different  forms,  but  now 
we  are  promised  the  conversion  direct  of  the  solar  energy 
into  the  manageable  electric  current.     It  has  long  been 


14  RKCIPROCITY. 

known  that  electricity  is  but  a  form  of  the  energy  given 
out  by  our  sun,  which  in  turn  derives  its  potency  from 
the  great  universal  store  of  cosmical  energy.  But  you 
will  please  excuse  me,  as  I  get  off  at  this  station.  This 
is  West  Hartford,  Vermont.' 

'  Why  this  is  where  I  get  off  also,'  I  said. 

Upon  leaving  the  train  I  found  myself  in  a  spacious 
station,  which  spanned  the  tracks,  and  connected  with 
the  track  shed  and  an  overhead  bridge.  I  looked  at  the 
cars  of  the  train.  They  were  of  metal  and  seemed  light 
but  strong.  I  could  see  no  wheels,  but  the  trucks  rested 
on  legs,  and  these  extended  into  deeply-grooved  rails, 
shaped  in  cross  section  like  the  letter  XJ.  How  could 
these  legs  slide  in  the  grooves  of  the  rails  with  apparent- 
ly so  little  friction  ?  My  traveling  companion  explained 
that  these  legs  had  shoes  or  skates  on  their  lower  parts 
which  fitted  loosely  into  the  rail  grooves.  At  the  bottom 
of  the  grooves  were  steel  balls,  separated  by  smaller  balls 
held  in  dividing  sleeves,  a  device  which  prevented  the 
carrier  balls  from  interfering  with  one  another.  This 
system  provided  a  rolling  friction  which  was  as  nearly 
frictionless  in  operation  as  could  be  obtained  in  practice. 
No  lubricants  were  needed,  and  only  enough  oil  was  used 
on  the  balls  to  prevent  oxidation.  The  shoes  were  also 
provided  with  anti-friction  ball  bearings  on  their  sides, 
so  that  they  could  not  bind  in  the  rail  grooves.  These 
shoes,  being  liable  to  wear  on  the  under  side,  were  made 
to  be  easily  attached  and  taken  off. 

'  It  must  have  cost  many  millions  to  build  and  equip 
these  railways  in  this  complete  fashion,'  I  remarked. 


RECIPROCITY.  15 

'Yes;  but  conversion  from  the  old  system  was  gradual, 
extending  over  hundreds  of  years,  and  was  only  accom- 
plished after  the  general  government  had  acquired  these 
roads.  With  the  present  system  there  is  a  great  saving 
in  operating  railways  over  the  old  one.' 

'By  what  mechanism  is  the  cars  propelled?'  I  asked. 

'Each  car  is  propelled  by  two  central  wheels  resting 
on  a  broad  central  T  rail.  These  wheels  are  double  flan- 
ged, with  deep  flanges,  which  embrace  the  rail  so  thor- 
oughly that  they  cannot  be  thrown  from  it.  The  wheels 
are  operated  by  electric  motors,  as  I  have  already  stated.' 

We  left  the  station  just  as  the  train  glided  silently 
away.  Outside  the  station  I  was  surprised  at  the  number 
and  appearance  of  the  business  structures  and  dwellings, 
the  broad  concreted  streets  and  sidewalks,  as  well  as  the 
general  air  of  matm'ity  that  pervaded  the  town.  The 
White  River  still  flowed  in  its  old  channel,  which  had 
been  deepened,  the  rocky  ledges  having  been  removed, 
and  its  banks  were  no  longer  serrated  with  road-washed 
gullies.     Cemented  walls  lined  its  banks. 

'  Where,'  I  mentally  queried,  '  is  ]Mr.  Perry,  the  mail 
carrier,  with  his  lumbering  coach  and  plodding  horses  ? ' 

No  horses  or  horse  carriages  were  in  sight,  but  there 
were  horseless  vejiicles  in  abundance,  standing  around  or 
in  motion,  and  I  now  noticed  that  a  fine  concrete  bridge 
spanned  the  river. 

'  I  live  in  Pomfret,'  said  my  companion  of  the  journey. 
Whither  are  you  bound  ? ' 

I  said  I  was  bound  for  Obed  Whipple's  at  North  Pom- 
fret,  Mrs.  Whipple  being  a  famous  cook  and  her  house  a 


16  EECIPROCITY. 

resort  for  city  people  in  the  holiday  season.  He  did  not 
know  of  such  a  family  in  that  section  of  the  town,  though 
there  were  people  of  that  name  in  other  parts  of  the 
the  town.  Would  I  accept  his  hospitality  until  I  got  my 
bearings  ?  I  gladly  closed  with  the  offer.  I  had  thought 
to  ask  to  be  directed  to  a  hotel,  failing  to  find  my  friends , 
but  could  I  find  any  one  in  the  place  who  would  be  so 
considerate  of  my  evident  ignorance  of  it  and  its  people 
under  the  new  order  of  things  as  this  man  appeared  to  be? 

'  My  name,'  said  my  host-to-be,  '  is  Wellman  —  Aaron 
Wellman.     And  yours  ? ' 

<  William  Wonder.'  I  would  have  added  « of  Boston,' 
but  doubted  if  I  could  establish  the  fact  of  residence  in 
that  city  in  the  year  2907,  A.  D. 

'  Well,  Mr.  Wonder,  put  in  your  valise  and  take  a  seat 
in  this  little  runabout,  which  has  been  waiting  me  here 
since  morning.  We  will  soon  be  at  my  place.  In  regard 
to  myself,  I  may  tell  you  that  I  am  one  of  the  merchants 
of  Pomfret,  and  have  been  to  Boston,  to  which  city  I  go 
occasionally  on  business.  I  said  merchant  of  the  town, 
but  should  have  said  for  the  town,  since  all  kinds  of  busi- 
ness, all  industries  in  fact,  are  carried  on  by  or  transacted 
for  the  municipality,  and  in  this  respect  I  am  simply  an 
agent  of  the  people,  the  commune.' 

This  bit  of  information  set  me  to  thinking,  but  when 
we  were  seated  in  the  carriage  and  my  host  assumed  the 
lever,  pressed  the  button,  starting  the  vehicle  at  a  lively 
pace,  my  attention  was  diverted  to  the  passing  objects. 
Other  carriages  were  on  the  road,  some  large  like  electric 
cars  —  they  did  not  run  on  rails,  but  free,  like  smaller 


RBCIPEOCITY.  17 

vehicles,  their  power  being  evidently  produced  on  them 
or  was  obtained  from  storage  cells.  On  inquiry,  I  was 
told  that  the  larger  vehicles  were  run  by  electricity  and 
the  smaller  by  spirit  motors.  I  noted  that  the  roadway 
was  ample,  being  about  70  feet  in  width,  with  concreted 
surface.  Fine  shade  trees  lined  it  on  either  side.  I  ex- 
pressed satisfaction  at  the  fine  roadway,  and  was  told 
that,  after  being  macadamized  on  a  substantial  founda- 
tion of  broken  stone,  it  had  been  surfaced  with  a  thick 
coating  of  cement  concrete. 

The  houses  along  the  highway  on  both  sides  were  sub- 
stantial in  appearance,  with  tasteful  architectural  features, 
and  indicated  taste  and  homelike  comfort.  Mentioning 
my  impressions  to  my  companion,  he  said  :  '  We  have  a 
population  of  over  fifty  thousand  people  in  this  town ; 
they  are  all  well  circumstanced,  live  in  comfort  and 
enjoy  life.'  (When  I  was  last  in  Pomfret  its  population 
was  only  about  800.) 

'  Are  they  all  farmers  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Oh  no ;  they  are  mostly  artisans,  but  many  of  our 
people  who  are  not  farmers  have  a  few  acres  of  land, 
and  raise  fruits  and  vegetables  sufficient  for  their  own 
consumption.  But  all  have  small  kitchen  gardens,  as  well 
as  flower  gardens  in  which  flowering  shrubs,  annuals  and 
perennials,  are  cultivated,  for  the  love  of  flowers  is  a  pas- 
sion with  our  people.  The  small  farmers  raise  corn  and 
other  cereals,  root  crops,  hay  and  other  food  for  cattle, 
for  the  commune ;  most  of  them  keep  cows,  pigs,  poultry, 
and  have  butter,  milk,  eggs,  and  other  farm  products  to 
dispose  of. 


18  RECIPROCITY. 

I  noted  that,  instead  of  perishable  wooden  or  rough 
stone  fences,  broad  dykes  of  earth  flanked  the  roadway, 
on  which  blackberry  and  raspberry  bushes  grew  in  pro- 
fusion, down  the  sides  as  well  as  on  the  top.  Also,  that 
dykes  formed  the  boundaries  of  farms  and  divided  fields, 
but  with  fruit  trees  as  well  as  berry  bushes  growing  on 
them,  planted  at  intervals,  such  as  apple,  cherry  and  plum 
trees.  I  remarked  on  this,  whereupon  my  companion 
stated  that  land  had  become  so  valuable  that  orchards, 
except  on  the  larger  of  the  small  farms,  were  not  culti- 
vated, but  that  the  small  farmer,  by  utilizing  the  broad 
earth-dyke  fences,  raised  enough  fruit  for  his  own  use 
and  sometimes  a  small  surplus.  On  the  line  dyke  fences 
each  farmer  was  entitled  to  half  the  berries  and  fruits. 

We  now  drew  up  before  a  group  of  substantial  build- 
ings in  the  centre  of  the  town.  The  main  structure  was 
a  large  one,  and  projected  some  twenty  feet  beyond  what 
appeared  to  be  wings  on  either  side.  It  contained  an 
extensive  store,  with  several  entrances  —  more  like  a  me- 
tropolitan department  store  of  the  present  day  than  a 
country  trading  place.  The  structures  attached  to  it  on 
either  side  appeared  to  be  dwellings. 

'  Here,'  said  my  companion,  '  is  where  I  live.  You 
will  please  alight,  and  wait  a  moment  while  I  put  up  the 
carriage.     Then  we  will  go  into  the  house.' 

I  thought  it  odd  that  a  man  in  his  circumstances  did 
not  have  a  servant  to  do  such  ofiices.  I  looked  at  my 
watch  and  was  surprised  to  note  that  it  was  less  than 
two  hours  since  I  had  left  Boston.  I  at  first  thought  my 
watch  had  erred,  but  on  stating  my  suspicion  to  my  host 


KECIPEOCITY.  19 

he  assured  me  that  it  took  less  than  that  time  to  go  to 
or  return  from  that  city. 

In  his  house  he  introduced  me  to  his  wife,  a  fine  mo- 
therly woman,  and  his  only  daughter,  a  charming  girl  of 
about  twenty  years.  There  were  two  sons,  older,  I  was 
told,  but  they  were  not  present.  One  of  them  was  mar- 
ried and  domiciled  on  the  other  side  of  the  store,  of  which 
he  was  assistant  manager.  The  other  was  a  worker  in  a 
factory. 

I  was  cordially  welcomed  by  the  wife  and  daughter, 
and  shown  to  a  room — a  kind  of  guest  chamber,  I  judged 
—  where  I  found  every  convenience  for  the  toilet;  but 
noted  that  there  was  no  bed  visible.  Having  made  my 
toilet  I  descended  to  the  living  room,  where  my  host,  his 
wife,  daughter  and  younger  son  (who  had  come  in  in  the 
meantime)  were  seated,  chatting  pleasantly.  The  son 
was  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  with  a  frank,  honest 
face,  an  athletic  development  of  body,  and  a  self-poised, 
modest  demeanor. 

I  was  at  once  charmed  with  this  family,  their  mild  and 
even  gentle  manners,  evident  affection  for  one  another, 
spontaneous  cheerfulness,  and  vivacity  of  conversation. 
The  language  employed  by  them  was  choice  and  unaffect- 
ed. In  fact  their  conversation  showed  that  they  were 
people  of  culture  and  intelligence,  and  I  realized  that  I 
was  a  guest  in  an  exceedingly  well  bred  family.  Though 
I  suspected  that  these  people  looked  upon  me  as  a  some- 
what peculiar  person,  perhaps  a  lunatic,  yet  by  no  word 
or  look  did  they  show  that  they  regarded  their  guest  as 
other  than  an  ordinary  visitor. 


20  KECIPROCITY. 

The  usual  greetings  exchanged,  I  had  an  opportunity 
to  note  my  surroundings,  and  then  observed  that  there 
were  neither  rugs  nor  carpets  on  the  floor,  which  latter 
appeared  to  be  composed  of  tiling  of  a  dull  earthy  color 
or  shade.  The  dado  of  the  walls  was  also  apparently  of 
tiling,  with  deep  foliage  coloring,  while  the  walls  were 
finished  in  a  glazed  plastering,  representing  richly  tinted 
and  veined  marble.  The  frieze  was  of  mosaic  design  in 
geometric  figures.  The  ceiling  was  of  white  porcelain 
finish.  It  could  not  be  tiling  also,  I  thought,  for  the  sur- 
face was  unbroken.  The  windows  were  wide  and  high, 
extending  from  floor  to  ceiling.  Being  open  they  admit- 
ted the  air  and  sunlight  freely.  The  sashes  were  hinged 
and  in  two  parts,  and  folded  inward.  There  were  no 
shutters  on  the  outside,  as  I  had  noticed  before  entering, 
and  now  I  saw  there  were  no  curtains  on  the  inside. 

Further  observation  was  interrupted  by  the  announce- 
ment that  a  meal  awaited  us,  and  I  was  shown  into  the 
adjoining  dining  room  where,  instead  of  a  family  dining 
table,  I  saw  several  small  tables  grouped  together,  one 
for  each  participant,  on  which  dishes,  food  and  condi- 
ments were  placed.  There  was  also  a  small  vase  of  flow- 
ers on  each  table.  I  was  conducted  to  one  of  the  tables, 
which  were  so  arranged  that  the  diners  could  readily 
change  their  positions  to  talk  or  listen  to  the  conversa- 
tion of  the  company  or  to  any  one  of  them  at  pleasure. 
To  facilitate  this  the  table  legs  were  provided  with  large 
wheel  castors.  The  dishes  —  some,  at  least — were  new 
to  me.  The  food  was  largely  vegetal  and  cereal,  cooked 
in  new  combinations,  I  judged,  and  there  were  potted 


RECIPROCITY,.  21 

meats.  A  fine  mutton  chop,  however,  graced  my  plate, 
to  which  I  was  prepared  to  do  ample  justice.  There 
were  also  berries  and  bananas. 

I  paused  before  beginning  the  meal,  expecting  that 
Mr.  Wellman  would  ask  the  usual  blessing.  Instead  of 
this  he  simply  said :  '  There  are  three  things  necessary 
to  the  full  enjoyment  of  food :  a  normal  appetite,  good 
food  well  cooked  and  cheerfulness.  They  are  all  equally 
essential  to  its  enjoyment,  the  proper  nourishment  of  the 
body  and  health  of  the  mind.     Begin ! ' 

During  the  meal  the  conversation,  of  which  I  was  a 
listener,  referred  to  current  events,  neighborhood  inter- 
ests, ethical  matters,  amusements,  and  to  discoveries  and 
developments  in  the  arts  and  sciences.  There  was  no 
talk  of  scandal,  crime  or  evil  happenings.  The  meal 
lasted  nearly  an  hour.  No  one  appeared  to  be  in  haste 
to  end  it.  Why  should  they,  I  thought,  for  I  had  never 
enjoyed  a  meal  so  much  before.  To  me  it  was  not  only 
a  dinner  but  a  conversational  entertainment  as  well. 

When  the  family  arose  from  the  table,  my  host  invited 
me  to  go  out  on  to  the  spacious  veranda,  where,  with  hie 
son,  we  found  comfortable  reclining  chairs,  the  women 
intimating  that  they  would  join  us  later.  The  house  was 
located  on  the  eastern  slope  of  an  eminence,  and  over- 
looked a  beautiful  valley  which  was  lost  in  the  windings 
of  the  distant  hills. 

We  sat  for  several  minutes  silently  contemplating  the 
scene  before  us.  The  valley,  hill  slopes  and  summits 
were  checkered  with  small  farms,  each  having  its  group 
of  dwellings  and  outbuildings.     In  many  places,  around 


22  RECIPROCITY. 

large  buildings,  evidently  factories,  were  clusters  of  dwel- 
lings, small  villages,  in  fact.  Seen  in  the  light  of  the 
afternoon  sun,  the  walls  and  roofs  of  the  buildings  in  the 
angles  of  reflection  seemed  to  have  a  glazed  surface,  be- 
tween a  red  and  brown  stone  effect.  Remarking  on  this, 
my  host  informed  me  that  the  material  composing  the 
walls  and  roofs  of  all  the  buildings  were  a  compound  of 
cement,  sand  and  crushed  stone,  covered  with  a  compo- 
sition which  produced  a  surface  like  polished  stone. 
This  covering  contained  the  coloring  matter  which  gave 
complexion  to  the  buildings,  the  shades  being  chosen  to 
suit  various  tastes.  As  a  rule,  however,  the  sober  tints 
were  commonly  employed. 

'  The  construction  is  what  is  known  as  composite,'  said 
Mr.  W.  '  Formerly  structures  built  of  this  material  had 
steel  frames,  but  since  the  iron  ore  deposits  had  become 
so  nearly  exhausted,  iron  and  steel  have  advanced  so 
enormously  in  cost  of  production  that  wood  had  to  be 
substituted.  Oxidation  of  the  steel  and  iron  employed 
in  the  earlier  buildings  of  great  cities,  due  to  electrolytic 
action  and  other  causes,  compelled  the  municipalities  to 
tear  most  of  them  down,  and  rebuild  with  non-oxidizable 
metal  compounds  or  wood  reinforcement,  the  former  of 
which  is  used  only  in  the  most  important  structures  on 
account  of  its  great  cost.  The  iron  and  steel  recovered 
from  these  torn-down  buildings,  it  is  said,  more  than 
paid  the  cost  of  rebuilding  in  concrete  with  reinforce- 
ment of  wood.' 

'  But  with  wooden  inside  frames  and  flooring  is  there 
not  more  danger  from  fire  than  with  metal  frames?' 


KECIPROCITT.  23 

'  We  do  not  have  fires  in  buildings  nowadays,  and  have 
not  had  for  hundreds  of  years  past,'  he  replied. 

'  How  do  you  light  and  heat  your  factories  and  dwel- 
lings in  the  cold  and  winter  seasons  ? '  I  asked. 

'  We  heat  as  well  as  light  them  by  the  electric  current, 
so  arranged  and  controlled  as  to  serve  both  purposes 
without  liability  of  igniting  inflammable  substances  in  the 
buildings.  Even  if  such  materials  should  be  ignited  by 
accident  or  spontaneous  combustion,  they  would  burn  up 
without  material  injury  to  the  buildings  themselves.  Of 
course  this  applies  more  directly  to  dwellings.  In  fac- 
tories using  cotton,  flax  and  other  inflammable  materials 
the  danger  is  greater ;  but  even  in  these  the  precautions 
taken,  which  in  the  first  stages  of  manufacture  include  a 
chemical  treatment  of  the  fibre  rendering  it  fire  resisting, 
are  invariably  successful  in  guarding  against  spontane- 
ous combustion  or  destruction  by  fire  of  dress  fabrics. 
A  woman's  cotton  dress  or  apron,  for  example,  will  not 
ignite  and  blaze  up  from  a  light  or  flame  contact.  In 
this  town,  I  may  tell  you,  we  have  no  record  of  loss  by 
fire  in  the  past  six  hundred  years. 

At  this  I  expressed  surprise  as  well  as  gratification,  re- 
membering the  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  buildings,  with 
even  more  valuable  contents,  which  were  annually  des- 
troyed in  New  England  alone,  and  the  consequent  neces- 
sity of  maintaining  an  extensive  system  of  insurance  and 
protection  in  the  way  of  fire  extinguishing  and  operating 
companies.  Of  course,  I  remarked,  there  was  no  call  for 
for  fire  insurance  companies  in  that  town. 

He  smiled  and  said  that  such  institutions  existed  only 


24  RECIPROCITY. 

in  ancient  history.  ^We  practise  the  lesson,'  he  said, 
<  which  our  forefathers  were  thousands  of  years  in  learn- 
ing. It  is,  after  all,  so  simple  that  it  can  be  comprised 
in  one  word — prevention. 

An  aged  man  of  venerable  appearance,  but  hale  and 
hearty,  with  keen,  bright  eyes  and  benevolent  face,  now 
joined  us. 

Mr.  Wellman  said,  '  Mr.  Wonder,  this  is  my  father. 
He  has  nominally  retired  from  active  pursuits,  but,  like 
a  boy,  he  cannot  remain  wholly  idle.  He  is  well  versed 
in  all  the  things  which  you  appear  eager  to  obtain  infor- 
mation of  in  our  town,  and  I  know  he  will  be  pleased  to 
enlighten  you  on  matters  which  may  interest  you.' 

I  thanked  him  for  the  introduction,  and  said  I  was  for- 
tunate in  obtaining  a  wise  and  experienced  and  I  hoped 
a  patient  teacher,  for  I  feared  I  should  prove  a  very  in- 
quisitive pupil,  perhaps  a  tiresome  one. 

'  Do  not  fear  that,'  said  the  venerable  man,  '  for  I  am 
never  more  in  my  element  than  when  imparting  what 
little  knowledge  I  possess  to  interested  inquirers.  I  was 
not  a  professor  in  a  college  for  more  than  forty  years 
without  acquiring  a  habit  or  faculty  of  not  only  impart- 
ing but  of  gaining  information.' 

The  women  now  appeared,  having,  as  they  said,  per- 
formed the  kitchen  work,  and  prepared  for  the  next 
meal.  The  family  seemed  to  be  well  enough  to  do  to 
afford  to  employ  servants,  and  I  wondered  why  this  wife 
and  daughter  were  compelled  to  do  the  work  of  hired 
help.  Apparently  guessing  my  thought,  Mrs.  Wellman 
said  to  me : 


RECIPROCITY.  25 

*You  may  perhaps  be  surprised  that  we  should  do  our 
own  house  work ;  but  this  is  a  general  rule  with  women 
in  this  age.  There  are  no  house  servants,  the  women  of 
the  family  doing  the  work.  But  if,  owing  to  death  or 
other  causes,  there  are  not  enough  women  in  the  family 
young  persons  are  adopted,  who  have  all  the  rights  of 
natural  children,  and  are  also  insured  a  good  education. 
My  daughter  and  I  cook,  wash  and  do  all  other  domestic 
work.  No  woman  is  above  such  duties.  Indeed  it  is 
regarded  as  healthful  and  pleasurable  employment,  as 
viewed  from  a  common  sense  stand-point.  "When  we 
began  to  have  a  family,  mother  and  sister  aided  me  in 
doing  the  domestic  work  and  caring  for  the  children. 
We  lived  together  and  were  a  happy  family.  When  our 
children  grow  up  and  marry  we  assist  them  in  the  same 
way,  for  we  are  still  one  family.  My  married  son  lives 
with  his  wife's  people,  and  so  will  this  son  when  he  takes 
a  wife.  When  my  daughter  marries,  she  and  her  hus- 
band can  live  with  us,  if  they  so  elect,  for  the  custom  is 
not  invariable.  You  can  see  from  this  that  raarriaore  of 
children  does  not  always  break  up  families,  but  some- 
times enlarges  them,  for  a  time  at  least.' 

Here,  in  a  few  words,  was  revealed  one  of  the  sources 
of  this  family's  domestic  happiness,  and  I  inferred  from 
what  was  then  said  that  it  might  be  a  general  usage  in 
this  age  of  the  world,  and  gave  to  the  idea  of  home  a 
more  comprehensive  significance.  But  further  inquiry 
showed  me  that  I  was  in  error,  for  I  was  informed  that 
this  custom  was  by  no  means  a  general  one.  Xot  many 
families  adopted  it,  for  to  most  people  it  seemed  to  trench 


26  RECIPROCITY. 

upon  the  independence  of  the  individual,  which,  to  this 
family  at  least,  seemed  an  unsound  proposition.  But, 
then,  people  had  the  right  to  arrange  their  domestic  con- 
cerns to  suit  themselves. 

By  this  time  we  had  another  addition  to  the  family 
circle.  A  stately  old  woman  appeared  on  the  veranda, 
and  stood  smilingly  regarding  the  stranger.  I  arose  and 
bowed. 

'  This  is  my  mother,  Mr.  Wonder,'  said  my  host. 

'  I  am  late,'  she  said,  after  kindly  greeting  me,  '  as  I 
had  to  arrange  for  a  meeting  of  the  matron's  guild,  of 
which  I  am  now  president.  We  are  to  meet  tomorrow 
in  the  town  mansion.'     This  to  the  family. 

'The  matron's  guild,'  explained  the  elder  Wellman,  'is 
a  council  of  old  women  who  meet  from  time  to  time,  as 
exigencies  require,  to  talk  with  young  wives  and  maidens 
who  may  ask  for  advice  on  any  and  all  matters  of  a  do- 
mestic or  personal  nature  that  would  call  for  maturer 
judgment  than  they  think  they  possess.  All  family  dif- 
ficulties that  are  brought  to  them  are  acted  upon  and  ad- 
justed by  them,  their  decisions  being  usually  accepted  as 
final.  But  matters  which  can  not  be  adjusted  in  this 
way  may  be  appealed  to  a  referee  board  composed  of 
three  members  of  the  matron's  guild  and  three  of  a  simi- 
lar guild  of  old  men  —  the  patriarch's  guild  —  whose 
function  is  to  consider  in  a  similar  way  the  troubles  and 
difficulties  of  young  men,  married  and  single.  These 
guilds  rarely  have  much  to  engage  their  attention,  though 
their  agency  in  settling  such  personal  and  family  troubles 
as  are  appealed  to   them   is   usually   effective.     Their 


EECIPROCITY.  27 

counsels  are  always  for  peace  and  harmony,  and  their 
decisions  are  based  on  justice  tempered  with  mercy.' 

'Yes,'  said  the  matron,  'our  motto  is  peace  and  har- 
mony, and  to  promote  these  is  our  purpose.  We  know 
that  young  people,  in  their  early  married  experience,  or 
rather  inexperience,  may  disagree,  often  about  trifling 
matters,  and  become  very  unhappy  by  nursing  and  there- 
by increasing  their  grievances,  when  an  appeal  to  older 
and  more  experienced  men  and  women,  who  have  only 
their  well-being  at  heart,  and  a  frank,  open  talk  and  good 
advice,  would  most  likely  restore  good  feeling  and  har- 
mony. We  counsel  moderation  and  kindness,  and  show 
that  a  calm  and  kind  answer,  or  discreet  but  not  sullen 
silence  is  the  best  form  of  treatment  for  an  outburst  of 
temper.  We  counsel  most  earnestly  that,  if  it  is  not  con- 
trolled, only  one  of  the  parties  to  a  controversy  give  way 
to  temper  at  one  time,  for  the  one  who  does  so  first,  if  of 
a  generous  nature,  will  surely  feel  regret  for  it  after  a 
time,  especially  if  not  angrily  opposed.  In  this  way,  in 
co-operation  with  the  patriarch's  guild,  nearly  all  cases 
that  come  before  us  are  happily  adjusted.  When  the 
married  parties  have  lived  together  a  few  years  they  have 
usually  acquired  the  habit  of  being  agreeable  and  loving 
to  one  another.  This  is  more  likely  to  be  the  case  when 
children  are  born  to  them. 

'In  cases  of  contemplated  marriage  we  are  often  ap- 
pealed to  in  regard  to  the  compatibility  of  the  parties 
contemplating  it.  As  we  know  them  and  their  antece- 
dents we  can  fairly  decide  and  advise.  In  this  work 
we  are  also  in  co-operation  with  the  patriarch's  guild. 


28  BECIPROCITY. 

The  appeals  to  us  for  guidance  in  these  matters  are  all 
voluntary,  and  our  decisions  are  not  binding,  but  they 
are  invariably  accepted,  being  upheld  by  public  opinion, 
when  they  are  made  public,  though  publicity  is  rarely 
sought  by  either  party.  They  are  usually  acquiesced  in, 
however.' 

The  married  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wellman,  his  wife 
and  a  bright  son  of  four  years,  now  joined  us,  and  took 
part  in  the  general  conversation,  which  was  now  changed 
to  other  themes.  I  now  learned,  incidentally,  that  this 
pleasant  domestic  reunion  was  a  matter  of  daily  occur- 
rence. I  noted  with  pleasure  the  marked  deference  of 
the  younger  to  the  older  people,  and  the  evident  affec- 
tion for  one  another  which  pervaded  the  whole  family. 
The  boy,  however,  was  attracted  to  the  stranger,  and  ap- 
proached me  in  a  half  bashful  way,  as  if  uncertain  in 
regard  to  the  manner  of  his  reception.  I  spoke  kindly 
to  him,  and  thus  encouraged  he  soon  became  more  inti- 
mate and  confiding,  being  attracted  by  my  gold  watch 
chain  and  charm,  which  latter  is  of  a  rare  mineral.  I 
took  the  lad  on  my  knee ;  he  asked  what  the  chain  was 
for;  I  explained  its  use,  taking  out  my  watch  and  holding 
it  to  his  ear.  Noticing  this  action  the  patriarch  (his 
great-grandfather)  said : 

'Like  all  children  he  is  curious.  But,'  and  he  took 
the  watch  in  his  hand  and  examined  it,  '  this  is  indeed  a 
curiosity  —  an  ancient  time-keeper,  and  is  actually  re- 
cording time.  (My  watch,  I  may  explain,  is  of  a  late 
Waltham  make,  and  to  hear  it  called  ancient  amused  me.) 
We  have  some  of  these  early  makes  of  watches  in  our 


RECIPROCITY.  29 

State  museum.  Our  time  recorders  are  quite  simple  in 
comparison,  and  keep  accurate  time.  They  are  not  liable 
to  get  out  of  order  and  will  last  a  lifetime.' 

He  took  from  his  vest  pocket  a  disk  about  the  size  of 
a  lady's  watch.  Its  case  was  of  composite  metal,  a  gold 
bronze.  It  had  an  open  face  with  white  dial.  It  was 
mai-ked  for  24  instead  of  12  hours.  Within  the  hour 
circle  of  figures  were  ten  figures  noting  successive  figures 
of  10  up  to  60,  indicating  the  minutes  of  the  hour.  The 
hour  hand  and  figures  were  black,  and  the  shorter  min- 
ute hand  and  figures  red.  So  far  in  the  dial  arrangement 
did  it  differ  from  the  one  I  carried,  but  it  was  in  the  in- 
ternal construction  and  operation,  I  was  told,  that  the 
radical  difference  was  to  be  noted.  It  was  operated  by 
magnetic  force  instead  of  power  stored  in  a  coiled  spring. 
The  actuating  parts  were  few  in  number  and  simple  in 
construction,  the  movement  being  based  on  the  interac- 
tion of  minute  permanent  magnets  —  like  poles  repelling 
and  opposite  poles  attracting  —  so  adjusted  as  to  produce 
in  the  mechanism  under  influence  a  rotary  movement  of 
the  hour  and  minute  hands  on  the  dial. 

'  Our  time  dials  in  the  house  are  operated  in  a  some- 
what similar  way,'  said  the  patriarch,  '  except  that  the 
power  comes  through  electro-magnets,  and  they  are  con- 
trolled by  the  local  central  time  recorder.  I  may  tell  you 
that  we  rarely  consult  these  pocket  time  pieces  when  we 
travel,  as  in  every  car,  in  all  railway  stations,  in  every 
room  of  hotels  and  at  every  street  intersection  time  re- 
cording dials  can  be  found.' 

Our  conversation  was  prolonged  into  the  gloaming,  I 


30  EECIPROCITY. 

had  so  many  questions  to  ask  and  they  so  ready  to  ans- 
wer my  inquiries;  but  not  into  the  night,  for  suddenly,  as 
by  a  flash  of  sunrise,  the  hills  and  valleys  were  aglow 
with  thousands  of  electric  lights.  It  was  a  splendid  and 
inspiring  scene,  and  all  the  more  interesting  when  I  con- 
sidered that  it  was  sunlight  in  a  secondary  form  which 
had  been  recovered  and  used  again  by  the  genius  of  that 
god-like  animal,  man. 

I  soon  realized,  however,  that  the  practice  of  this  fam- 
ily was  'early  to  bed,'  and  after  a  few  words  of  mutual 
good  wishes  by  all  we  separated  for  the  night.  The 
little  fellow,  with  whom  I  had  established  a  new  friend- 
ship, said  at  parting  that  he  would  come  to  see  me  on 
the  morrow,  when  I  promised  to  tell  him  more  about  my 
home  in  the  big  city,  my  children  and  grandchildren. 

I  was  shown  to  my  chamber,  the  house  being  lighted 
with  electric  glow  lamps,  and  a  couch  which  had  been 
concealed  in  an  alcove  on  my  first  visit  to  the  room 
was  now  visible,  drawn  out  on  to  the  floor,  ready  for  the 
sleeper.  I  was  instructed  in  regard  to  certain  details, 
such  as  turning  out  the  light,  and  bidden  good  night  by 
my  host.  The  room  windows  were  open  to  admit  the 
air,  but  were  so  adjusted  that  the  wind  would  not  blow 
on  the  sleeper.  My  brain  was  filled  with  strange  and 
bewildering  thoughts,  inspired  no  doubt  by  the  curious 
experiences  of  the  day.  I  was  also  somewhat  fatigued, 
and  therefore  not  averse  to  repose.  I  disrobed  and 
laid  down.  The  couch  was  a  comfortable  one  and  fitted 
my  drowsy  mood  like  a  well-made  garment,  and  I  soon 
lost  myself  in  slumber. 


EECIPROCITY.  31 


CHAPTER  II. 

Sun  Invocation  —  Visiting  the  Town  Mansion. — A 
Sun-Cooked  Dinner. 

After  a  night  of  dreamless  sleep,  though  it  did  not 
seem  to  me  to  be  more  than  an  hour  in  length,  I  awak- 
ened just  as  the  unrisen  sun  was  brightening  the  eastern 
sky.  I  felt  refreshed  and  invigorated  in  body  and  mind, 
but  still  more  than  mystified  in  regard  to  my  whereabouts 
and  even  my  own  identity. 

Making  a  rapid  toilet,  I  at  once  descended  to  the  sit- 
ting room  or  parlor.  The  window  leading  out  on  to  the 
veranda  was  wide  open,  and  as  I  neared  it  I  found  that 
the  entire  family  was  assembled  on  the  veranda,  all  with 
faces  turned  toward  the  just  risen  sun.  As  I  joined  the 
standing  group,  the  senior  or  patriarch  uttered  an  invo- 
cation to  the  great  luminary.  Raising  both  hands  —  a 
movement  followed  by  all  the  others  —  he  said : 

'  Our  parent  Sun  !  Source  and  sustainer  of  all  life  on 
our  earth !  We  hail  thy  advent  as  the  return  of  a  friend 
and  benefactor !  In  thy  presence  and  under  thy  benign 
influence  we  begin  a  new  day  with. renewed  resolves  and 
aspirations !  May  we  have  the  strength  and  the  courage 
to  live  up  to  our  purpose  to  do  only  what  our  best  con- 
ceptions of  right  and  duty  to  our  fellow  men  dictate ;  to 
do  what  we  can  to  promote  peace  and  harmony  among 
our  fellow  beings ;  to  do  all  the  good  we  can ;  to  injure 
no  one  by  word  or  act;  to  aid  those  who  need  our  assist- 
ance ;  to  be  honest  and  upright  in  all  our  dealings ;  to  be 


'S'l  RECIPROCITY. 

cheerful  and  complacent  to  all ;  and,  finally,  at  thy  going 
down  today,  may  we  be  able  to  reflect  that  we  have  car- 
ried out  these  purposes  to  the  best  of  our  ability!  We 
know  that  to  thee  this  invocation  is  as  a  breath  of  air, 
but  to  us  its  influence  in  the  regulation  of  our  lives  is  of 
the  greatest  import !     Amen ! ' 

With  the  others  I  joined  in  a  hearty  *  amen  ! '  to  this 
simple  yet  grand  invocation.  It  was  a  new  and  an  agree- 
able experience,  not  likely  to  be  forgotten,  for  it  com- 
prised the  essence  of  all  true  religions. 

Breakfast  was  now  announced.  It  was  a  family  affair, 
evidently  arranged  in  honor  of  the  stranger.  At  this 
meal  the  purpose  of  separate  tables  became  more  evident 
to  me,  as,  after  partaking  of  the  food,  the  family  wheeled 
their  chairs  into  a  group  to  indulge  in  social  converse. 
The  viands  consisted  of  cereal  and  vegetal  substances 
made  into  dishes  new  to  me  but  very  palatable.  Fruits 
of  various  kinds  also  graced  the  meal.  The  drinks  were 
cocoa  and  water,  the  cocoa  being  rich  and  delicious.  The 
patriarch  and  his  wife  took  a  leading  part  in  the  agree- 
able conversation  which  succeeded  the  repast.  There 
was  nothing  controversial  in  the  discussion  of  any  topic, 
each  of  the  speakers  giving  an  opinion  or  stating  a  fact 
with  courteous  moderation. 

The  morning  papers,  containing  the  news  of  the  world 
of  the  preceding  day  were  brought  in,  and  leading  events 
recorded  in  them  read  and  discussed.  I  was  interested 
in  the  make-up  of  the  papers — there  were  two  of  them 
alike  in  size  and  general  features.  The  pages  were  about 
10   by   12  inches,  folded,  cut  and  stitched  in  pamphlet 


KECIPROCITY.  33 

form.  I  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  fact  that  there 
were  no  advertisements  in  them.  One,  entitled  'The 
News,'  was  dated  Boston.  The  other,  '  Daily  Events,' 
was  from  New  York.  Both  bore/  date  '  Thursday,  July 
12,  2907.'  They  were  filled  with  short  articles  and  para- 
graphs, telling  of  various  happenings  in  all  foreign  coun- 
tries as  well  as  in  the  United  States,  and  also  of  new 
discoveries  and  inventions,  under  appropriate  general 
headings.  The  records  of  happenings  were  given  with- 
out comment,  as  statements  of  facts  and  occurrences. 
They  were  models  of  terse  journalism. 

I  inquired  as  to  the  number  of  newspapers  that  were 
issued  from  the  presses  of  New  York  and  Boston,  and 
was  told  that  only  one  daily  was  issued  in  each  city  in 
the  country.  As  one  paper  in  each  locality  gave  all  the 
news,  it  was  considered  that  one  daily  could  meet  this 
demand  and  more  papers  would  be  superfluous.  There 
were  other  publications,  weekly  and  monthly,  devoted  to 
special  lines  of  information,  such  as  educational,  scientific, 
mechanical  and  industrial  affairs. 

I  was  told  that  the  papers  of  the  large  cities  were  put 
into  type,  plates  made  of  the  pages,  which  were  transfer- 
red at  an  early  hour  of  the  day  to  railway  cars  equipped 
with  presses,  printing  paper,  and  so  forth,  the  presses 
being  started  printing  soon  after  the  cars  left  the  city. 
As  these  cars  proceeded  on  their  way,  bundles  of  papers 
(fully  completed,  that  is,  folded  and  wired)  intended  for 
each  locality  on  the  lines  and  towns  and  places  contigu- 
ous thereto  were  thrown  off  at  certain  stations  without 
checking  the   speed   of    the   cars.     The    presses   were 


34 


RECIPROCITY. 


capable  of  completing  over  300,000  copies  an  hour,  and 
there  were  two  presses  on  every  car.  This  arrangement 
enabled  the  whole  country  to  be  supplied  with  the  news 
of  the  world  every  day  in  the  year,  each  of  the  metro- 
politan cities  having  certain  territory  of  its  own  to  cover, 
though  in  many  cases  two  cities  covered  in  part  the  same 
territory. 

I  examined  the  papers  curiously,  for  the  reason  that 
the  print,  at  first  sight,  seemed  unfamiliar ;  but  I  soon 
saw  that  many  of  the  words  were  phonetically  spelled,  the 
silent  vowels  and  double  consonants  being  eliminated. 
I  may  confess  that  for  a  time  I  did  not  get  much  satis- 
faction out  of  this  condensed  form  of  spelling,  but  after 
a  little  study  I  could  read  the  words  without  difficulty 
It  was  as  unfamiliar  to  me  as  my  new  surroundings,  but 
not  as  pleasing.  I  could  not  but  acknowledge,  how- 
ever, that  there  was  much  merit  in  the  system,  and  that 
it  was  appropriate  to  the  condensed  form  and  style  of 
journalism  of  the  day. 

' How  is  composition  in  printing  offices  performed?'  I 
asked. 

'  By  machines,  principally,'  was  the  reply. 

*Are  single  alphabetical  characters  still  employed  in 
composition?* 

'  In  part,  yes  ;  but  only  in  part,  for  combination  char- 
acters enter  largely  into  composition  and  render  it  more 
rapid  and  correct.  Prefixes,  postfixes,  articles,  conjunc- 
tions, and  portions  of  words  in  common  use  which  can 
be  readily  combined  with  single  characters  to  make  the 
words  called  for,  are  employed  in  composing  machines.' 


RECIPROCITY.  35 

*  But  does  not  this  system  call  for  a  large  and  complex 
key-board?'  I  asked. 

'A  large  keyboard,  yes,'  replied  the  patriarch,  'but  not 
a  complex  one,  for  its  method  is  simple  and  easily  learned. 
With  these  letter  combinations  an  operator  can  compose 
two  thousand  words  an  hour  with  ease.  Metal  is  not 
now  employed  to  make  plates  from  but  only  the  lines. 
To  make  the  plates  to  print  from,  the  matrix  is  filled  with 
a  quick-setting  cement,  which  hardens  to  a  degree  that 
renders  it  available  for  printing.  Cylinder  completing 
presses  are  now  in  general  use.  They  print,  fold,  wire 
and  deliver  the  papers  at  a  marvellous  rate  of  speed,' 
said  the  patriarch. 

Surprised  at  his  knowledge  of  the  technique  of  the 
printing  art,  I  asked  if  he  had  learned  it. 

'I  did,  when  I  was  young,'  he  replied.  *  It  was  and  is 
one  of  the  courses  of  study  in  a  collegiate  education.  It 
is  in  the  course  of  philology.  I  worked  at  it  or  rather 
studied  it  for  nearly  two  years.' 

Our  conversation  at  this  point  was  interrupted  by  my 
host  who  informed  us  that  a  carriage  was  in  waiting,  and 
as  the  patriarch  was  ready  to  accompany  me  on  a  sight- 
seeing tour  we  at  once  responded  to  the  summons.  Be- 
fore leaving,  I  sought  to  thank  him  and  his  good  wife 
for  the  entertainment  I  had  received  at  their  hands,  as  I 
intended  to  seek  a  hotel  to  stay  at  during  my  sojourn  in 
in  the  town,  but  was  interrupted  by  Mr.  "Wellman,  who 
said: 

'My  dear  sir,  do  not  think  of  leaving  us.  We  are 
your  debtors  for  the  novelty  and  pleasure  of  your  pres- 
ence in  our  home.     We  both  desire  that  you  continue  to 


36  BECIPROCITY. 

be  our  guest  while  you  remain  in  this  town.  My  father 
will  take  you  in  charge,  show  you  all  that  is  worth  seeing 
in  our  little  commune,  and  give  you  such  information  as 
you  may  desire.  I  would  be  glad  to  go  around  with  you 
myself,  but  my  business  will  not  permit  it.  My  father 
has  ample  leisure  and  will  deem  it  a  pleasure  to  accom- 
pany you.  If  you  went  to  a  hotel  you  would  still  need  a 
guide  to  show  you  around  and  give  you  information,  and 
there  are  few  men  better  able  to  do  this  than  he  is.  Be- 
sides, if  you  will  remember,  he  has  already  volunteered 
to  do  it.' 

Patriarch Wellman  heartily  assented  to  this,  employing 
other  arguments  to  make  me  change  my  purpose.  We 
went  outside  and  his  wife,  the  matron,  now  joining  us, 
we  entered  the  carriage,  which  was  a  double-seated  run- 
about set  low  on  wheels  of  small  diameter. 

'  You  can  understand,  Mr.  Wonder,'  said  the  patriarch, 
'  that  we  old  people  do  not  desire  to  move  about  at  more 
than  a  moderate  gait;  besides,  small  wheels  climb  steep 
grades,  if  more  slowly,  with  less  power  than  large  ones. 
We  will  first  go  to  the  town  mansion  and  leave  mother. 
Then  we  will  move  about,  just  where,  circumstances  will 
probably  determine,  but  there  is  much  to  see  even  there.' 

The  highway  was  well  occupied  with  vehicles  of  dif- 
ferent sizes,  going  in  both  directions  and  at  varying  rates 
of  speed.  Some  of  them  were  quite  large,  being  appar- 
ently public  vehicles.  People  entered  and  left  them  at 
different  points.  I  was  at  first  so  intent  on  observing 
the  vehicles  on  the  street  that  I  scarcely  noticed  anything 
else ;  but  my  attention  was  presently  drawn  to  the  people 


BECIPEOCITT.  37 

on  the  sidewalks.  They  were  all  neatly  dressed,  pros- 
perous-looking and  apparently  very  sociable,  chatting  as 
if  on  intimate  friendly  terms.  The  women  were  taste- 
fully but  not  extravagantly  attired.  Their  dresses  varied 
in  material,  make  and  color,  showing  marked  individu- 
ality of  taste,  and  I  noted  with  pleasure  that  their  skirts 
were  sensibly  shortened  to  about  five  inches  above  their 
feet,  of  which  they  were  evidently  not  ashamed.  They 
were  large,  but  I  did  not  see  a  fat  woman  among  them. 
Neither  were  they  lean,  but  full-chested,  muscular  and 
hearty  enoiagh  to  enjoy  life. 

'  These  people,'  said  the  patriarch,  who  was  respect- 
fully saluted  by  many  of  them,  '  are  on  their  way  to  their 
various  occupations.  We  are  all  industrial  as  well  as 
industrious.  Everybody  works  during  the  active  years 
of  life,  that  is,  up  to  65  years  of  age.  After  that  none 
is  expected  to  labor,  but  may,  if  they  are  so  inclined ;  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  many  men  work  into  the  late  70's,  from 
choice.  But  even  after  retirement,  the  industrial  habit 
usually  keeps  them  active  in  such  matters  as  they  may 
fancy,  even  into  old  age,  as  in  my  wife's  case  and  my 
own,  especially  in  affairs  that  call  for  experience  and  ma- 
ture judgment.  No  one  who  desires  to  further  the  best 
interests  of  the  commune  need  be  altogether  idle.  There 
is  always  something  to  interest  and  attract  people  of  all 
ages  and  conditions.  In  age,  senility  is  often  hastened 
by  idleness.' 

We  were  now  approaching  the  town  mansion,  which 
was  situated  on  the  crest  of  the  highest  hill  or  ridge  in 
the  town. 


38  KKCIPROCITT. 

'  We  have  named  this  group  of  buildings  the  "  Town 
Mansion,"'  said  the  patriarch,  'because  in  it,  or  in  the 
group  composing  it,  are  located  the  various  town  offices, 
the  post  office,  town  treasury,  meeting  place  of  selectmen' 
and  the  schools  of  mechanic  arts,  electricity,  chemistry 
and  other  useful  educational  branches  of  learning,  where 
graduates  of  grammar  schools  are  instructed  in  the  vari- 
ous arts  and  sciences,  and  all  the  higher  branches  of 
learning  which  have  a  use  in  our  civilization.  Lecture 
and  concert  halls,  theatres,  gymnasia,  etc.,  are  also  located 
here,  the  location  being  central  and  easily  accessible 
from  all  sections  of  the  town.  We  shall  first  stop  at  the 
main  building,  which  contains  the  town  offices,  the  post 
office,  and  so  forth.' 

The  town  mansion  I  found,  on  approaching  it,  as  well 
as  on  closer  examination,  to  be  a  collection  of  attached 
buildings.  The  main  or  central  structure  was  a  large 
octagon  building,  four  stories  in  height,  crowned  with  a 
covering  dome,  with  a  cupalo  on  top  for  observation  pur- 
poses as  well  as  for  architectural  finish.  From  four  of 
the  sides  of  this  building  facing  the  four  points  of  the 
compass,  there  extended  or  radiated  a  series  of  structures, 
the  first  being  not  wider  than  the  angle  face  of  the  main 
building  to  which  it  was  connected,  and  was  three  stories 
in  height.  The  next  building  was  longer  and  wider,  two 
two  stOTies  in  height,  but  attached  to  the  inner  one  only 
above  its  second  floor.  This  left  a  wide  passage-way 
connecting  the  different  wings,  for  the  convenience  of 
carriages  and  pedestrians.  Outside  the  two-story  attach- 
ment was  a  much  longer  and  wider  structure  of  only  one 


RECIPROCITT.  3d 

story  in  height.  This  wing  or  series  of  buildings,  in 
similar  size,  form  and  style  was  repeated  on  each  of  the 
alternate  faces  of  the  angles  of  the  main  building,  the 
entire  group  being  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross,  the  lines 
of  the  arms  being  serrated.  The  roofs  of  the  buildings 
composing  the  wings  were  ornamented  with  small  domes 
and  minarets.  The  entire  group  presented  a  bizarre  and 
yet  not  unsymmeti'ical  combination  when  viewed  from  a 
near  standpoint,  but  from  a  distance,  as  I  afterward  noted, 
it  had  a  very  attractive  and  even  artistic  effect. 

The  one-story  outside  structures  were  used  —  one  for 
a  gymnasium  for  men  and  boys,  another  for  women  and 
girls'  gymnasium;  a  third  for  a  chemical  and  electrical 
laboratory,  and  the  fourth  for  a  school  of  mechanic  arts. 
These  outside  buildings  were  100  by  200  feet  in  area, 
were  lighted  from  the  roof  and  the  sides,  and  those  used 
for  educational  purposes  were  equipped  with  machinery 
and  other  apparatus  employed  in  the  various  branches 
taught  in  them,  while  the  two  large  gymnasiums  had  all 
the  appliances  in  vogue  for  exercise  and  physical  devel- 
opment. 

The  two-story  buiklings,  with  passage-way  under  them 
contained  ample  halls  arranged  for  seating  large  audiencs. 
One  was  used  for  theatrical  exhibitions,  another  for  pub- 
lic meetings  or  lectures,  a  third  for  concerts,  and  the 
fourth  for  vaudeville  shows  and  other  amusements  of  a 
like  character. 

The  wings  proper  or  three-story  buildings  had  various 
uses  —  one  for  schools  of  mathematics  and  other  studies 
which  did  not  requii-e  the  employment  of  machinery  or 


40  KECIPROCITY. 

elaborate  apparatus.  Another  of  the  wings  proper  was 
devoted  to  the  training  of  young  women  in  the  sciences 
and  professional  work,  such  as  chemistry,  anatomy  and 
physiology,  gynacology  and  obstetrics,  for  midwifery,  as 
I  learned,  was  practised  only  by  women.  The  domestic 
arts  were  also  taught  in  this  section.  A  third  wing  was 
devoted  to  the  instruction  of  young  men  in  surgery  and 
therapeutics.  It  also  contained  a  law  school,  in  which 
nearly  all  young  men  received  a  measure  of  instruction 
in  jurisprudence,  though  but  very  few  were  graduated  as 
professional  lawyers,  litigation  in  courts  of  law  being  a 
tiling  of  such  rare  occurrence  that  few  followed  the  law 
exclusively  as  a  profession.  An  acquaintance  with  the 
general  principles  of  jurisprudence  was,  however, 
regarded  as  a  necessary  part  of  a  liberal  education,  and 
qualified  its  possessor  to  know  his  well-defined  rights 
under  the  law,  as  well  as  how  to  assert  and  maintain 
them. 

'  P^'or,'  said  the  patriarch  afterwards,  speaking  of  this 
acquirement,  '  in  this  particular  as  in  many  others  such 
knowledge  makes  men  more  self-reliant,  and,  knowing 
their  own  rights,  are  all  the  more  ready  to  accord  to 
others  the  same  rights  and  not  infringe  on  them.  Actual 
contests  in  courts  of  law  are  so  rare  that  we  seldom  hear 
of  them.  I  believe  it  is  an  old  axiom  that  lawyers  rarely 
go  to  law  on  their  own  account.  In  this  town  I  have  no 
recollection  of  a  case  at  law  being  tried,  though  we  have 
the  means  of  trying  such,  if  need  be.  With  us  every 
man  is  practically  a  law  unto  himself,  and  needs  no  co- 
ercion to  make  him  act  justly  towards  his  fellow  men. 


EECIPEOCITT.  41 

We  are  not  saints,  but  we  can  be  good,  self-respecting 
citizens,  having  due  regard  for  the  rights  of  others  as  of 
our  own.' 

The  fourth  wing  was  devoted  to  the  use  of  students  of 
both  sexes  who  made  studies  in  special  branches  of  sci- 
ence. Inventors,  experimenters  in  chemistry,  physics  — 
any,  in  fact,  who  promised  useful  results  in  the  arts  and 
sciences  —  were  given  opportunity  to  develop  their  ideas 
and  aided  in  so  doing,  the  results  of  their  labors  becom- 
ing public  property,  as  the  national  patent  office  was  now 
used  only  as  a  court  of  record,  its  awards  being  largely 
honorary.  To  the  recipient  of  a  patent,  however,  it  was 
an  award  of  merit  that  carried  with  it  great  honor,  if  not 
riches,  though  it  conferred  upon  its  possessor  a  handsome 
pension  during  life,  paid  out  of  the  national  treasury. 

The  main  or  central  building  contained  the  town  offices 
and  the  town  treasury,  as  well  as  the  central  post  office 
and  the  offices  of  the  various  industries  of  the  commune, 
for,  as  I  learned,  all  industries,  of  whatever  nature,  were 
carried  on  by  or  for  the  commune. 

Our  carriage  stopped  at  one  of  the  entrances  to  the 
main  building  — there  were  four  such  entrances,  the  halls 
meeting  in  a  central  rotunda  —  and  we  alighted  and  went 
in.  The  old  woman  turned  aside  to  the  matrons'  room 
on  the  first  floor,  and  we  took  one  of  the  elevators  for 
the  upper  section  of  the  building.  There  was  no  attend- 
ant in  the  lift,  but  after  we  entered  my  guide  pressed  a 
button,  the  door  closed,  and  we  mounted  upward  to  a 
landing  at  the  gallery  near  the  top  of  the  dome.  The 
patriarch,  before  we  lauded,  showed  me  that  there  was  a 


42  RECIPROCITY. 

separate  button  in  the  car  for  each  landing,  and  the  oper- 
ation of  the  elevator  was  automatic.  The  pressure  of  a 
button  on  any  floor  outside  the  elevator  well  would  call 
it  up  or  down  to  stop  there,  and  once  the  passenger  was 
inside  it  could  be  directed  at  will.  It  could  not,  how- 
ever, be  operated  from  the  outside  when  carrying  passen- 
gers up  or  down,  but  only  called,  and  when  vacated  would 
respond  to  the  call. 

A  stairway  from  the  gallery  of  the  dome  led  up  to  the 
cupola.  From  a  staff  on  the  cupola  floated  a  fine  Ameri- 
can flag,  and  from  the  open  windows  of  this  crowning 
structure  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  surrounding 
country,  with  the  White  Mountains  forming  a  background 
in  the  east,  the  Green  Mountains  north  and  west,  and  on 
the  south  the  noble  valley  of  the  Connecticut  River  —  a 
grand  view,  that  was  all  the  more  inspiring  to  me  when 
I  reflected  that  every  arable  acre  of  this  vast  territory 
was  under  cultivation  or  in  useful  fruit  and  forest  trees ; 
that  intelligent,  peaceful  and  contented  people  cultivated 
farms  and  operated  factories,  and  that  peace,  prosperity 
and  plenty  pervaded  the  entire  country.  But  perhaps  I 
am  anticipating  —  am  ahead  of  my  story,  so  to  speak.  As 
we  descended  from  the  cupola  my  guide  said : 

'  We  will  now  visit  some  of  the  schools.  We  have  in 
different  sections  of  the  town  primary  and  graded  schools, 
where  instruction  is  given  to  pupils,  in  advanced  classes, 
in  elementary  chemistry,  physics,  mechanical  drawing, 
and  the  application  of  these  and  other  matters  to  the  in- 
dustrial arts  and  trades.  Graduates  from  these  classes 
are  admitted  to  scholarship  in  the  finishing  schools  here. 


RECIPROCITY.  43 

We  also  have  trades  and  mechanic  arts  taught  as  studies 
preparatory  to  the  higher  branches,  on  the  well-approved 
principle  that  handicraft  or  mechanical  experience  is  not 
only  indispensable  to  the  engmeer,  factory  superintend- 
ent and  operative,  but  an  important  aid  in  every  form  of 
industry,  whether  mechanical,  inventive  or  farm  labor. 
Chemistry  and  metallurgy  are  taught  collaterally.  The 
student  worker  in  metals  is  instructed  in  the  nature  and 
chemical  composition  of  the  metals  he  handles,  their  re- 
duction from  their  ores,  combination  with  other  metals, 
as  well  as  the  nature,  property  and  uses  of  alloys. 

'Then  there  is  organic  chemistry  and  its  branches, 
such  as  agricultural  chemistry,  in  which  the  composition 
of  the  soils  cultivated,  the  fertilizers  needed  to  insure 
good  crops,  etc.,  are  ascertained  in  order  to  farm  success- 
fully. These  and  kindred  studies,  such  as  agriculture, 
horticulture,  floriculture  and  botany  are  among  the 
studies,  as  well  as  natural  history.  Political  and  domes- 
tic economy,  history  and  mathematics,  are  among  the 
higher  branches  taught,  while  ethics  is  one  of  the  most 
important  of  our  school  studies,  as  it  has  its  roots  in  the 
social  life  of  our  people.  Electrical  and  mechanical  en- 
gineering are  among  the  branches  most  in  favor  with  our 
students.     Let  us  visit  one  of  the  school  shops.' 

We  entered  one  of  the  electrical  school  laboratories. 
It  contained  a  variety  of  machinery,  work  benches  and 
apparatus  of  various  kinds  employed  in  the  art.  The 
machinery  was  in  operation,  and  work  of  a  commercial 
nature  was  being  turned  out  by  the  students.  Here,  I 
was  informed,  many  of  the  small  electric  generators  and 


44  RECIPROCITY. 

motors  used  on  road  carriages,  and  for  farm  and  house- 
hold small  powers,  were  constructed.  Alcohol  motors 
were  also  made  here.  I  noted  that  the  metal  used  for 
some  of  the  parts  of  machines  in  process  of  manufacture 
was  of  a  different  kind  from  what  I  had  been  familiar 
with.  On  inquiry  I  was  told  that  it  was  an  alloy  which 
was  less  liable  to  oxidation  and  much  easier  to  work  into 
shape  than  iron  or  steel.  The  young  men  at  work  in  the 
laboratory  were  so  earnest  and  intent  on  their  occupation 
that  they  only  glanced  at  the  visitors,  though  the  instruc- 
tors saluted  my  guide  with  friendly  deference.  This,  I 
was  told,  was  one  of  the  higher  grade  classes  of  the  elec- 
trical school. 

In  all  the  rooms  visited  the  students  were  industriously 
employed  in  their  various  lines  of  practical  study.  One 
of  the  rooms  interested  me  greatly,  chiefly  on  account  of 
the  peculiarity  and  complex  nature  of  one  of  the  opera- 
tions carried  on.  The  apparatus  treated  atmospheric  air 
for  the  production  of  nitrates.  The  air  was  driven  into 
an  electric  furnace  tlirough  an  intense  flame,  the  portion 
unconsumed  coming  out  charged  with  nitrous  oxide  fumes, 
which  were  collected,  allowed  further  time  to  oxidize, 
and  then  absorbed  in  quick  lime,  nitric  acid  and  nitrate 
of  lime  being  the  products.  Nitrate  of  lime,  I  was  told, 
was  found  of  special  adaptabilitj'  to  many  soils,  and  was 
used  quite  largely  on  farms  in  the  state.  The  small  cost 
of  production  made  it  a  cheap  fertilizer. 

'The  aim  in  this,  as  in  all  our  higher  schools,'  said  my 
guide,  'is  to  turn  out,  if  possible,  commercially  useful 
products.     Where  anything  produced,  however,  has  not 


RECIPROCITY.  45 

a  market  value  it  is  destroyed.  If  of  metal,  it  is  melted 
and  used  again,  but  this  seldom  has  to  be  done.  We  will 
now  visit  another  department  of  electrical  work,  where 
the  manufacture  of  carpets,  mattrasses,  bed  quilts  and 
house- warmers  is  carried  on.' 

Wondering  what  the  relation  of  such  household  things 
could  have  to  electricity,  I  followed  without  comment  or 
query.  In  this  department  I  was  shown  several  looms  in 
operation  weaving  carpets  and  other  coarse  fabrics,  the 
warps  of  which  were  composed  in  part  of  fine  metallic 
threads,  which  I  was  told  were  made  of  a  highly  ductile 
alloy  of  great  resistance.  About  every  20th  thread  of 
warp  was  of  metal.  The  coarse  filling  woven  in  fully 
covered  and  concealed  the  metal  threads. 

'  These,'  said  my  guide,  '  are  what  are  known  as  elec- 
trical fabrics.  You  will  note  that  in  some  of  the  looms 
the  wires  used  are  larger  and  placed  further  apart  in  the 
warp  than  in  others,  and  that  the  filling  threads  are  much, 
coarser.  The  fabrics  in  these  looms  are  floor  carpets 
rugs,  and  for  mattras  coverings  for  beds,  for  use  in  the 
cold  season  where  a  moderate  heat  is  desired.  The  finer 
fabrics  are  employed  for  bed  coverings,  in  conjunction 
with  sheets  and  blankets ;  also  as  lounge  covers,  and  for 
chair  seat  and  back  covers.  They  are  in  some  cases  em- 
ployed as  dado  coverings,  to  promote  the  general  warmth 
of  living  rooms,  though  in  our  sleeping  rooms  in  the 
winter  season  we  have  a  supply  of  fresh  air  warmed  to 
about  45  degrees  Fahrenheit  by  being  admitted  through 
electrically  heated  coils.  In  adapting  these  fabrics  for 
use,  the  material  is   cut  to  the  required  length,  and  the 


46  KECrPROCITT. 

ends  of  the  wires  connected,  so  that  the  network  makes 
a  continuous  line  of  greatei-  or  less  resistance  according 
to  the  size  of  the  wire.  This  network  of  wire  radiates 
the  amount  of  heat  called  for,  which  can  be  regulated 
according  to  the  requirements  of  the  cold  season.  Of 
course  the  current  is  never  applied  in  quantity  sufficient 
to  overheat  the  wire  and  produce  combustion.  To  obtain 
heat  from  these  fabrics  they  have  to  be  connected  with  a 
current  supply.  In  the  summer  season  these  fabrics  are 
stored  away  until  again  called  for.  In  summer  we  do 
not  use  any  floor  or  wall  coverings,  as  they  collect  dust 
and  organic  matter  and  are  consequently  injurious  to 
health.' 

'  You  said  the  studies  in  these  schools  embraced  juris- 
prudence, therapeutics,  surgery,  etc.,  are  these  special  or 
elective  studies?' 

'Yes;  but  while  they  have  a  place  in  the  general  fea- 
tures of  our  educational  system  only  those  who  desire  to 
study  them  are  required  to  do  so,  that  is,  with  reference 
to  professional  ends.  Surgery  is  a  very  important  branch 
of  study,  and  we  have  many  young  men  who  pursue  it 
for  a  profession.  All  special  studies  in  our  schools  are 
elective.  This  will  account  in  a  great  measure  for  the 
evident  ardor  shown  by  students  in  special  lines  of  work 
in  these  schools.' 

'  What  if  an  undue  number  choose  one  particular  line 
of  study,  such  as  electrical  instead  of  foundry  work  or 
other  trade  ? '  I  asked. 

'  The  number  of  students  in  any  one  of  the  special 
lines  of  study  in  the  advanced  classes  is  limited,  and  only 


EECIPEOCITT.  47 

those  who  pass  the  highest  examinations  are  accepted 
until  the  classes  are  filled.  If  a  class  is  full,  eligible  ap- 
plicants who  are  temporarily  debarred  have  the  choice  of 
other  lines,  but  are  still  eligible  when  there  is  room  for 
them,  which  is  not  infrequent,  because  graduation  de- 
pends upon  merit  and  proficincy  rather  than  upon  the 
length  of  time  of  study,  the  more  studious  and  efficient 
receiving  their  diplomas  soonest.  This  has  been  found 
to  be  a  great  incentive  to  industry  on  the  part  of  the 
pupil  and  spurs  him  to  emulative  effort.  It  at  the  same 
time  holds  out  hope  to  expectants,  who  in  the  meantime 
adopt  some  analogous  line  of  study,  in  which  they  may 
become  interested  and  continue  to  study  in  it  until  gra- 
duation.' 

'  Then  these  art  and  professional  schools  are  probation- 
ary or  apprentice  shops  which  graduate  workmen  or 
masters  of  the  trades  or  professions  which  they  have 
perfected  themselves  in,'  I  remarked. 

'Yes,' he  said.  'Our  trades  and  occupations  are  no 
longer  handicapped  by  the  introduction  of  crude  and  un- 
skilled labor.  The  graduate  from  our  advanced  classes 
in  any  trade  or  profession  is  a  competent  workman,  en- 
gineer, artist  or  professional  man,  as  the  case  may  be, 
and  is  fitted  to  take  the  place  and  earn  the  compensation 
of  an  experienced  worker  in  any  line  of  industry  for 
which  he  has  fitted  himself.' 

'  In  the  mental  studies,  such  as  mathematics,  theology, 
psychology,  etc.,  have  your  schools  advanced  classes  ?  '  I 
asked. 

'  As  to  mathematics,'  said  the  patriarch,  '  we  regard  it 


48  RECIPROCITY. 

as  one  of  the  most  indispensable  of  the  mental  studies, 
A  thorough  course  in  it  is  taken  by  all  pupils,  especially 
to  qualify  as  engineers.  Indeed  a  knowledge  of  it  is  in- 
dispensable to  all  mechanics,  inventors,  and  in  fact  to  all 
who  have  to  exercise  correct  judgment  in  the  affairs  of 
life.  Moral  philosophy  is  an  important  study,  and  even 
psychology  has  a  place  in  the  advanced  mental  grades, 
if  indeed  it  can  be  classed  with  ordinary  studies,  it  being 
one  of  the  rarer  intellectual  pursuits  more  fitted  for  ma- 
ture people  who  study  mental  phenomena;  but  as  to  the- 
ology, it  is  not  taught  or  studied  nowadays.  It  is  a  dead 
study,  only  resurrected  for  occasion  by  the  philosopher, 

'Mystical  studies  are  not  encouraged,  for  the  reason 
that  they  lead  to  the  formation  of  an  unstable  condition 
of  mind  in  the  immature,  and  tend  to  make  men  imprac- 
tical in  thought  and  action.  Our  knowledge  of  mental 
phenomena  has  been  so  broadened  in  the  past  eight  or 
ten  centuries  that  we  no  longer  regard  many  and  even 
most  of  the  so-called  phenomena  of  the  old  cults  and  re- 
igions  as  of  supernatural  significance,  or  that  they  are  of 
higher  origin  than  human  invention.  We  can  under- 
stand why  the  devotional  instinct  in  human  nature  which 
sought  to  give  expression  to  feelings  of  wonder  and  ad- 
miration of  the  vast,  grand  forces  and  mysterious  pro- 
cesses of  nature,  and  why  men  did  not  get  beyond  the 
idea  of  personifying  them.  But  we  have  long  since  left 
such  childish  ideas  behind  in  the  road  of  progress;  have 
realized  that  there  is  a  vast  universe  about  us,  so  vast  as 
to  be  limitless,  where  formative  and  disintegrative  pro- 
cesses are  in  never-ceasing  action,  creating  worlds  and 


KECrPEOCITY.  49 

and  sustaining  them  in  their  wondrous  cycles  of  change, 
of  growth  and  decay;  and  that  our  sun,  great  and  benefi- 
cent as  he  is,  is  but  one  of  the  millions  of  dispensing 
agents  of  that  vast  universal  energy,  to  place  which  in  an 
individual  control  is  the  acme  of  absurdity. 

<  We  now  know  more  definitely  the  immediate  sources 
of  vegetal  and  animal  life  on  our  planet,  if  not  their  ac- 
tual origiuo  We  also  know  that  human  knowledge  has 
its  limitations ;  but  what  knowledge  we  possess  is  sufli- 
cient  to  satisfy  us  that  there  is  no  reasonable  hope  of 
more  than  one  term  of  existence  for  each  individual  man, 
as  well  as  for  any  other  animal,  and  that  the  part  of  wis- 
dom is  to  live  the  life  we  have  as  happily  as  we  can  —  a 
life  which,  in  practice,  should  be  productive  of  the  best 
and  most  satisfactory  results  to  the  individual  and  to 
societyo' 

'For  these  reasons,  then,'  I  remarked,  'you  do  not  see 
the  necessity  for  teaching  theological  doctrines.' 

'  We  view  the  idea  of  a  personal  god  as  a  crude  and 
even  childish  conception  of  the  all-power  in  nature.  A 
triune  god  is  an  absurdity,  a  comjjlex  form  of  anthropo- 
morphism, which  is  not  as  satisfactory  to  the  thinking 
man  as  the  abstract  idea  of  an  all-creative  and  all-potent 
principle  in  nature,  but  it  was  admirable  as  a  befogging 
and  awe-inspiring  mystery  to  those  cradled  in  the  super- 
stition of  the  ages.  We  can  see  that  all  the  gods  of  the 
ancients  originated  in  an  imperfect  conception  of  the 
creative  principle  of  the  universe.  In  the  crudity  of 
human  knowledge  the  varied  phenomena  of  nature  were 
personified  and  given  powers  which  seemed  to  belong  to 


60  RECIPEOCITY, 

Buch  superhuraans.  The  earth  was  then  believed  to  be 
the  centre  of  the  universe  and  the  sun,  moon  and  stars 
simply  attendants  on  it.  IIow  different  the  facts  i  Oiu- 
earth  is  but  one  of  the  small  children  of  the  sun,  not  the 
smallest,  but  insignificant  compared  with  some  of  those 
more  distant  from  the  sun.  We  now  realize  that  the 
sun  is  our  cosmical  father,  as  the  earth  is  our  mother, 
and  that  he  is,  if  not  the  creator,  at  least  the  promoter 
and  sustainer  of  life  on  it.  We  realize,  also  that  while 
we  are  dependant  upon  the  sun  for  our  being  and  sus- 
tenance, there  is  an  illimitable  universe  of  energy  and 
matter  of  which  he,  vast  though  he  be,  is  only  one  of  the 
smaller  dispensers,  there  being  myriads  of  suns  or  centres 
of  systems  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  times  larger 
than  he  is. 

'  In  this  age  we  have  no  fixed  form  of  worship,  and  our 
regard  for  the  great  central  luminary  of  our  system  bears 
but  little  analogy  to  that  of  the  early  sun  worshippers 
save  that  we,  like  them,  recognize  our  dependence  upon 
it  for  life  and  sustenance.  Our  highest  conception  of  a 
personal  god  is  embodied  in  the  perfect  man,  such  a  one 
as  the  Christians  worshipped  in  the  Hebrew  man  Jesus, 
who  represented  to  them  the  cardinal  virtues,"  faith  in 
humanity,  love  of  fellow  men,  mercy  and  charity  to  the 
unfortunate  and  poverty-stricken,  and  hope  of  final  bro- 
therhood and  happy  conditions  for  all,  which  it  is  our 
highest  and  noblest  ambition  to  realize.  To  accomplish 
this  we  cultivate  respect  for  age,  experience  and  achieve- 
ment, truth,  uprightness,  honesty,  fidelity,  integrity,  and 
indeed  all   the  characteristics  which  we  approve  of  or 


EECIPROCITT.  51 

most  highly  commend  in  others  and  aim  to  cultivate  in 
ourselves.' 

I  was  surprised  at  this  revelation  and  could  hardly 
realize  that  the  grand  fabric  of  supernaturalism,  called 
Christianity,  had  dissolved  or  been  relegated  to  the  pan- 
theon of  the  defunct  religions.  I  remarked,  however,  that 
the  old  religions  must  have  been  fitted  to  the  intellectual 
wants  and  moral  conditions  of  the  ages  in  which  they 
prevailed,  and  tliat  the  comparative  study  of  them  had 
proved  a  useful  means  of  enlarging  human  knowledge. 

'  That  is  true,'  he  said.  'AH  mental  jihenomena  or  pre- 
vailing conditions  of  thought  and  belief  in  the  history  of 
thinking  man  have  had  their  uses  in  the  line  of  progress. 
Their  crudity  was  due  to  lack  of  knowledge,  but  each 
experience  was  provocative  of  thought,  doubt,  contro- 
versy and  investigation,  consequently  of  progress.  Men 
stumbled  for  ages  in  the  rough  paths  of  experience,  and 
knowledge  came  slowly  and  after  great  sacrifice.  In 
other  words,  the  structure  of  human  knowledge  was 
started  in  the  quicksand  of  ignorance  and  superstition, 
and  had  to  be  rebuilt  many  times  on  fii-mer  and  more 
rational  foundations.  "We  have  now  arrived  at  a  con- 
dition of  comparative  mental  maturity,  when  the  forms 
and  ceremonies  of  the  old  religions  are  meaningless  to 
us,  if  not  absurd.' 

'  But,'  I  persisted,  '  how  could  a  god  be  conceived  of 
apart  from  a  personality  ? ' 

'He  could  not,  and  therein  resided  the  strength  of  the- 
ology, especially  when  the  great  god  allied  himself  to  man 
in  the  flesh,  became  a  creature  of  his  own  creation,  as  it 


52  RECIPROCITY. 

were.  This  ridiculous  assumption,  when  accepted  by 
the  ignorant  masses,  was  made  the  basis  of  a  faith  for 
which  men  suffered  death  and  sanctified  it.  But  science, 
with  undaunted  persistence  and  judicial  logic,  showed  its 
utter  fallacy,  and  slowly  but  surely  the  world  became 
undeceived.  It  was  the  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  facts 
in  nature  among  the  masses  of  the  people  which  gave  to 
the  inventors  of  gods  the  opportunity  to  invest  such 
myths  with  attributes  and  powers  most  esteemed  and 
respected  or  feared  in  those  days.  These  gods  were  as 
often  worshipped  from  fear  as  from  any  other  sentiment. 
The  people  asked  for  aid  and  assistance,  little  realizing 
that  they  were  calling  on  things  without  ears  and  without 
power  to  help  or  to  injure.  Yet,  strange  to  say,  many  of 
the  suppliants,  owing  to  fortuitous  circumstances,  realized 
their  wishes  and  attributed  the  same  to  the  favor  or 
clemency  of  the  gods  —  so  credulous  and  trusting  is  hu- 
man nature.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  prayers  were 
not  answered,  the  suppliant  attributed  it  to  his  own  un- 
worthiness,  and  it  no  doubt  increased  his  estimate  of  that 
god's  discernment. 

'The  constructors  of  theologies  did  not  realize  that 
wisdom  and  intelligence  were  merely  human  attributes, 
derived  from  the  varied  conditions  of  man's  existence. 
Even  the  pantheistic  idea  that  the  universe  is  god  and 
god  the  universe  was  too  broad  for  general  comprehen- 
sion in  the  god-making  age.  We  now  realize,  however, 
whence  the  sustaining  and  doubtless  the  creative  power 
in  nature  is  derived.  We  know,  also,  as  I  have  intimated, 
that  even  our  hicchest  intellectual  achievement  is  but  a 


BECIPEOCITT.  53 

phase  of  human  development  under  favoring  conditions 
—  nothing  more.' 

We  passed  through  a  number  of  other  departments  of 
study  and  work,  all  containing  well-tilled  classes  of  young 
people  busily  intent  on  work  and  study. 

'  Where  do  all  these  young  people  find  employment 
when  they  are  graduated  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Wherever  vacancies  occur  calling  for  their  services,* 
replied  the  patriarch.  '  The  workers  in  our  industries 
and  other  lines  of  effort  are  dropping  out,  that  is,  retiring 
all  the  time,  leaving  vacancies  to  be  filled,  and  business 
of  all  kinds  is  increasing  with  the  growth  of  population, 
calling  for  more  workers.  Our  young  graduates  do  not 
go  forth  with  the  idea  that  they  can  obtain  situations  of 
control  and  responsibility  in  any  line  of  industry  — nearly 
every  calling  with  us  nowadays  is  industrial.  They  know 
that  they  must  begin  modestly  and  work  their  way  up,  if 
they  are  aspiring,  gaining  promotion  by  merit,  industry 
and  opportunity.  Work  of  some  kind  is  always  obtain- 
able, and  remuneration  is  fixed  in  every  department  of 
industry  and  effort,  so  that  there  no  difiiculty  in  earning 
a  livelihood.  Some  follow  trades,  some  professions  and 
others  agricultural  pursuits.  If  there  is  not  employment 
found  in  the  lines  most  desired  it  may  be  had  in  other 
pursuits.  Proficiency  in  any  one  of  the  arts  or  trades 
does  not  unfit  the  possessor  for  other  occupations,  and  our 
all-around  system  of  industrial  school  training  enables  the 
young  graduate  to  be  tolerably  efficient  in  almost  any  line 
of  effort. 

'  Of  course  a  young  man  may  ^choose  to  go  elsewhere 


54  RECIPROCITY. 

to  find  employment,  and  some  do ;  but  there  are  the  ties 
of  family  and  friendship  to  bind  him  to  home  which  are 
not  to  be  lightly  sundered.  If,  however,  he  does  go  out 
into  the  world  and  a  new  field  of  effort,  as  some  do,  he 
is  usually  well  provided  with  means  to  pay  his  way  until 
he  secures  a  position  to  his  liking.  On  graduation  the 
town  gives  the  student  a  sum  of  money  equivalent  to  his 
earnings  above  student  remuneration  for  one  year  prior 
to  graduation,  if  his  work  had  been  productive  of  material 
gain  to  the  commune;  and  if  not,  as  in  the  case  of  purely 
mental  or  experimental  studies,  there  is  still  given  him  a 
money  consideration,  the  gratuity  being  porportioned  to 
his  accomplishment.' 

'  Does  the  town  have  a  proprietary  interest  in  all  prop- 
erty and  own  and  operate  all  industrial  and  educational 
institutions  ? '  I  asked. 

'The  commune,  that  is,  the  people  in  their  collective 
capacity,  own  everything  in  the  way  of  real  estate,  build- 
ings, schools,  public  utilities,  and  own  and  operate  all  the 
industries.  Personal  property  only  is  owned  by  individu- 
als. Those  occupying  or  holding  buildings,  farms  and 
other  public  property  pay  rental  therefor,  which  is  cov- 
ered into  the  town  treasury,  or  rather  deducted  from  the 
earnings  of  the  occupants,  all  of  whom  are  employed  by 
or  work  for  the  town.  The  term  of  lease  of  farms  and 
dwellings  is  perpetual,  and  proportioned  to  the  size  and 
importance  of  the  holding ;  that  is,  they  are  secured  the 
possession  of  their  holdings  as  long  as  the  rent  is  paid. 
If  a  family  should  desire  to  leave  the  town  they  can  dis- 
pose of  their  lease  to  the  town  or  to  another  family,  their 


EECIPROCITT.  55 

successors  occupying  it  under  the  same  conditions  as  to 
the  payment  of  rent  and  so  forth,'  said  the  patriarch. 

'  If  a  tenant  should  fail  to  pay  rent,  what  would  be  the 
consequence  to  him  ? '  I  inquired. 

'If  such  failure  were  the  result  of  sickness,  temporary 
disability  or  circumstances  over  which  the  family  had  no 
control,  things  of  very  rare  occurrence  indeed,  the  rent 
would  be  remitted  for  a  year,  or  two  years,  if  need  be. 
But,  as  I  said,  such  misfortunes  can  only  be  of  extremely 
rare  occurrence,  for  even  if  the  head  of  a  family  is  dis- 
abled the  other  adult  members  can  work,  and  there  is 
work  and  remuneration  for  all  who  can  and  will  work. 
If,  however,'  continued  the  patriarch,  'there  are  only  aged 
survivors  of  a  family,  and  they  have  passed  the  age  of 
retirement,  which  entitles  them  to  a  life  pension,  they 
are  allowed  to  retain  their  home  rent  free,  if  they  desire 
to  do  so,  and  do  not  wish  to  go  to  the  town  farm.  If  they 
should  choose  the  latter,  however,  or  in  the  event  of 
death,  their  holdings  revert  to  the  town.  In  the  case  of 
small  farmers,  in  seasons  when  the  crops  are  a  partial 
failure  (there  are  no  total  failures  with  us)  rebates  of 
rents  are  made  proportional  to  estimated  losses.' 

'How  do  your  farmers  dispose  of  their  products?'  I 
asked. 

♦The  farmer,'  he  replied,  'reserves  for  his  own  use 
enough  of  the  products  of  his  farm  to  last  him  until  the 
crops  of  the  following  year  mature.  His  surplus,  in 
poultry,  eggs,  meat,  wool,  hay,  milk,  butter,  roots,  fruit, 
corn  and  other  cereals,  he  sells  to  the  commune.  We  have 
in  different  sections  of  the  town  spacious  warehouses  in 


56  RECIPROCITY, 

which  farm  products  of  all  kinds  are  kept  for  sale,  either 
to  our  own  people  or  abroad,  these  products  being  sold 
elsewhere  only  when  there  is  an  assured  surplus  over 
estimated  home  needs.  For  root  crops  underground 
cellars  are  reserved,  where  in  dark,  cool  vaults  they  are 
kept  until  required  for  consumption.  When  the  farmer 
turns  in  his  surplus  products,  an  order  of  payment  for 
them  by  the  town  treasurer  is  given  him.  At  the  trea- 
sury his  indebtedness  for  rent  and  bills  at  the  town  store 
are  deducted,  and  the  balance  coming  to  him  paid  him  in 
currency,  or  placed  to  his  credit,  as  he  desires.' 

'  Do  farmers  realize  profitable  returns  for  their  indus- 
try ? '  I  asked. 

'  Yes ;  in  years  of  good  crops  they  realize  very  gener- 
ous returns.  Besides  an  independent  living  they  have  a 
satisfactory  surplus  at  the  end  of  the  year.  None  of  them 
grows  rich,  however,  any  more  than  other  workers.  We 
are  not  mere  money  getters,  and  have  no  use  for  surplus 
wealth,'  replied  the  patriarch. 

'  Does  the  commune  build  as  well  as  own  all  the  build- 
ings ? '  I  asked. 

'  Yes ;  and  all  the  houses  are  built  on  a  uniform  sys- 
tem, though  of  different  sizes  and  styles  of  architecture. 
There  are  some  six  or  seven  variations  of  these  in  the 
town,'  he  replied.  '  The  factories  are  built  to  accommo- 
date the  industries  which  are  to  be  carried  on  in  them. 
The  dwellings  vary  in  rental  according  to  size  and  the 
amount  of  land  that  goes  with  each.  The  smallest  cot- 
tage is  built  as  carefully  and  substantially  as  the  largest, 
and  with  as  much  care  in  regard  to  light,  ventilation, 


RBCIPROCITT.  57 

plumbing,  and  other  hygienic  details.  They  are  all  con- 
structed to  last  for  hundreds  and  perhaps  thousands  of 
years,'  said  the  patriarch. 

<  Is  the  income  from  these  houses,  farms  and  factories 
sufficient  to  meet  all  the  expenses  of  the  commune  ? '  I 
inquired. 

'  There  is  never  a  deficit,'  he  replied,  <  for  the  business 
of  the  town  is  carefully  and  watchfully  administered,  but 
if  there  should  be  Ave  have  a  surplus  or  reserve  fund  to 
fall  back  on.  It  has  now  grown  to  considerable  propor- 
tions. If  this  became  exhausted  by  any  unforeseen  con- 
contingency,  a  general  advance  in  rentals  would  have  to 
be  resorted  to.  But  I  find  no  account  of  such  an  occur- 
rence in  the  history  of  the  town  during  the  last  three 
hundred  years.  On  the  contrary,  there  have  been  several 
instances  where  the  yearly  surplus  income  has  been  so 
considerable  that  a  year  of  jubilee,  or  exemption  from  all 
or  a  large  percentage  of  rent  payment,  has  been  known. 
The  town,  however,  always  maintains  a  large  surplus,  to 
be  drawn  upon  for  highway  and  other  public  improve- 
ments, and  for  contingencies.' 

'  Have  you  a  town  debt  ? '  I  asked,  forgetting  how  un- 
likely it  would  be  for  a  town  with  a  large  surplus  in  its 
treasury  to  be  in  debt. 

He  smiled  indulgently  and  replied :  '  No.  In  this  age 
the  communes  (cities  and  towns)  can  not  borrow  on 
credit.  They  must  and  do  live  on  their  incomes,  and  it 
remains  with  those  in  charge  of  affairs  to  be  prudent  in 
expenditure  and  watchful  of  the  interests  intrusted  to 
their  management.     But  economy  and  a  strictly  lion  est 


58  RECIPROCITY. 

administration  of  business  affairs  have  become  so  well-es- 
tablislied  in  the  public  service  that  maladministration  is 
practically  unknown.  Credit  for  ability  and  honesty  is 
so  highly  esteemed  by  the  people  that  failure  in  capacity 
or  honesty  would  mean  failure  in  life  which  no  amount 
of  gain  could  compensate  for.  This,  though  an  age  of 
individual  independence,  is  not  one  of  individual  pos- 
session of  great  riches,  consquently  there  is  little  incen- 
tive to  and  lasting  disgrace  in  the  acquirement  of  dis- 
honest gain.' 

'  But,'  I  said,  '  if  a  public  servant  should  do  wrong  — 
should  speculate  in  stocks  and  lose  money  that  did  not 
belong  to  him  ? ' 

'  My  friend,'  he  replied,  '  you  suppose  a  case  of  impos- 
sible occurrence.  This  is  not  an  age  of  speculation  of 
any  kind.  There  are  no  corporations  and  consequently 
no  stocks  which  are  liable  to  fluctuation,  or  which  can  be 
manipulated  by  speculators,  in  order  to  cheat  the  unwary. 
The  only  available  securities  are  government  bonds,  and 
these  are  only  purchased  for  investment.  There  can  be 
no  fluctuation  in  these  for  their  rate  of  interest  does  not 
vary.' 

In  the  main  building  we  visited  the  offices  of  the  heads 
of  departments.  These  men  and  their  assistants  had 
charge  of  all  the  industries  of  the  commune,  and  other 
matters  of  administration.  They  contracted  for  the  pur- 
chase of  raw  material  for  the  factories,  the  sale  of  their 
products,  the  employment  of  operatives,  and  administered 
the  industries  and  other  town  affairs  as  if  they  were  their 
own  individual  concerns.     The  office  doors  bore  such 


RECIPROCITY.  5d 

signs  as  '  Light  and  Power,'  '  Farms  and  Dwellings,' '  Fac- 
tories,' < Schools,'  'Highways  and  Public  Grounds,'  'In- 
stitutions,' and  so  on. 

The  sign  '  Light  and  Power '  attracted  my  attention. 
What  was  the  source  of  power  from  which  the  electric 
current  was  produced  and  which  operated  the  factories  ? 
Was  it  coal  ?  It  could  not  be  water,  for  water  power,  I 
knew,  was  limited  in  the  town.  I  asked  my  guide  where 
the  town  obtained  its  coal.     He  smiled  and  said: 

'  The  stored  energy  of  the  sun,  in  the  forms  of  coal  and 
mineral  oil,  were  exhausted  to  such  an  extent  about  three 
hundred  years  ago  as  not  to  be  available  to  us ;  but  we 
obtain  sufficient  power  for  our  needs  from  other  sources. 
Did  you  not  notice,  when  we  were  in  the  cupola  of  this 
building  that  the  various  hills  and  other  eminences  within 
view  were  crowned  with  numbers  of  small  circular  struc- 
tures, on  the  roofs  of  which  and  projecting  from  them 
were  large  flattened  funnels,  backed  by  fish-tail  vanes?' 

'  I  did  notice  them,'  I  said,  '  and  intended  to  ask  you 
later  about  them.' 

'In  these  little  buildings,'  he  continued,  'our  most 
available  form  of  power  is  employed  to  produce  elec- 
tricity. The  winds,  which  are  now  our  chief  source  of 
power,  are  utilized  in  these  buildings  to  operate  motors 
to  produce  electricity.  We  have  only  a  limited  amount 
of  water  for  power  in  the  town  —  a  form  of  power,  like 
the  wind,  which  is  derived  from  sun  energy  —  and  have 
also  sun  motors,  but  of  course  they  are  operative  only 
on  cloudless  days. 

'One  of  the  most  important  discoveries  yet  made  in  the 


60  RECIPROCITY. 

matter  of  power  production  is  that  involved  in  the  con- 
version of  the  sun's  energy  directly  into  electricity.  This, 
I  learn,  has  been  accomplished  by  a  North  African  sci- 
entist after  many  years  of  experiment,  and  he  is  now,  it 
is  said,  engaged  in  the  work  of  reclaiming  the  deserts  of 
that  region  by  sinking  artesian  wells  and  drawing  water 
from  them  to  irrigate  and  cultivate  those  waste  places  by 
sun-electric  motors.  Engines  of  this  character  may  thus 
become  instrumental  in  reclaiming  the  barren  and  arid 
places  of  the  earth,  and  the  electric  current  thus  produced 
a  most  important  factor  in  the  future  industrial  life  of  the 
world.  I  understand  that  there  has  been  published  an 
illustrated  technical  description  of  this  invention,  that 
is  to  be  sent  out  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  which 
we  are  awaiting  with  eager  hopefulness. 

*  By  the  new  system  it  is  estimated  that  every  house- 
top can  be  utilized  to  place  a  converter  that  will  produce 
current  enough  in  the  summer  season,  and  even  in  winter, 
to  be  stored  for  heating,  lighting  and  domestic  purposes 
the  year  round.  Instead  of  having  the  storage  plants  of 
factories  and  dwellings  charged  from  the  public  generat- 
ing stations  the  possessors  of  the  sun  dynamos  or  con- 
verters can,  by  their  aid,  store  enough  sun  energy  to 
largely  and  perhaps  wholly  serve  their  wants.  There 
will  be  cloudy  days,  to  be  sure,  as  well  as  windless  ones, 
but  enough  sunshine  as  well  as  wind  will  be  assured  to 
the  world,  where  water  power  is  not  available,  to  furnish 
all  the  power,  heat  and  light  needed.  Under  prevailing 
conditions,  we  have  to  supplement  our  wind  and  water 
power  with  alcohol.     But  for  general  purposes  these  sun- 


EECIPROCITT.  61 

power  dynamos  must  have  a  great  and  beneficial  influ- 
ence upon  earth  conditions,  especially  in  regions  where 
sunshine  predominates.  We  can  have  but  little  concep- 
tion of  the  vast  amount  of  energy  there  is  in  the  sun's 
rays  and  what  an  exhaustless  source  of  power  we  have 
in  it  to  draw  from.' 

I  intimated  that  I  would  like  to  inspect  the  wind  en- 
gines, but  at  that  moment  the  noon  signal  was  sounded 
by  megaphone  from  the  cupola  of  the  town  mansion,  and 
the  patriarch  said  we  must  return  home,  as  by  this  time 
his  wife  would  be  waiting  for  him.  We  found  the  ma- 
tron expecting  us. 

'  After  luncheon  and  siesta,'  said  the  patriarch,  '  we 
will  visit  the  wind  engines.' 

On  the  way  to  the  Wellman  home  I  noticed  that  the 
streets  were  again  filled  with  carriages  of  all  descriptions 
moving  hither  and  thither,  and  the  walks  crowded  with 
pedestrians. 

'  They  are  going  to  their  homes  for  luncheon,'  said  Mr. 
W.  '  That  meal  is  followed  by  a  siesta  or  resting  spell, 
and  then  back  again  to  work  or  business  or  study,  as  the 
case  may  be,  for  three  hours  more.  The  hours  for  labor 
and  study  for  adults  are  six  a  day,  three  in  the  forenoon 
and  three  in  the  afternoon,  or  one  fourth  of  the  entire 
day.  Farmers  in  the  busy  season,  of  course,  work  longer 
hours,  but  there  are  days  and  seasons  when  they  cannot 
work  out  of  doors.  Even  with  this  extra  work  in  the 
summer  season  they  do  not  average  more  hours  per  day 
the  year  round  than  the  workers  in  factories  do.  In  their 
busy  season,  too,  they  can  employ,  out  of  working  hours, 


62  EECIPKOCITY. 

those  who  may  choose  to  work  a  couple  of  hours  or  more 
before  or  after  factory  hours.' 

'  Are  the  hours  of  labor,  then,'  I  asked,  '  generally  re- 
duced to  six  a  day?' 

'  That  is  the  general  rule  everywhere.  These  are  some 
of  the  reasons  for  fixing  the  standard  at  six  hours  for  a 
day's  work :  In  the  first  place,  as  everybody  works  or 
studies,  all  the  work  and  study  needed  to  be  done  can  be 
accomplished  in  that  time.  In  our  primary  schools  only 
four  hours  attendance  is  required,  two  in  the  forenoon  and 
two  in  the  afternoon.  This  system  of  work  and  study 
for  adults  and  children  gives  results  that  are  satisfactory, 
allowing  enough  time  for  amusement,  healthful  recrea- 
tion and  rest  for  old  and  young.  We  are  not  ambitious 
to  accumulate  an  undue  amount  of  products  and  riches 
at  the  expense  of  health  and  comfort.  Health  and  enjoy- 
ment with  us  are  paramount.' 

'  Have  you  many  very  rich  people,  millionaires  ? '  I  in- 
quired. 

'  We  know  of  very  rich  men  only  in  history,'  he  said. 
'  In  these  days  of  equality  of  opportunity  and  reward 
rich  men,  not  to  mention  millionaires,  are  an  impossi- 
bility. Men  have  so  greatly  multiplied  that  to  make  one 
millionare  in  a  town  it  would  be  necessary  to  impoverish 
thousands  —  a  thing  impossible  under  present  conditions. 
The  colossal  fortunes  acquired  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Republic,  when  opportunity  went  hand  in  hand  with  the 
early  development  of  a  new  country  under  the  old  wage 
system,  melted  many  hundreds  of  years  ago,  and  only  an 
average  well-to-do  class  of  working  people  succeeds  to 


EECIPROCITT.  63 

the  inheritance  of  the  earth.  According  to  prevailing 
custom  or  usage,  which  has  the  effect  of  law  nowadays, 
no  man  can  bequeath  at  his  death  more  than  fifty  thous- 
and dollars  to  his  heirs  in  bonds  and  money.  If  he  dies 
worth  a  hundred  thousand  —  a  very  rare  thing  indeed  — 
one  half  the  amount  goes  to  the  commune.  There  is,  as 
you  can  see,  no  incentive  for  even  a  man  of  miserly 
habit  to  accumulate  largely.  All  men,  whether  well-to-do 
or  comparatively  poor,  do  work  of  some  kind ;  the  poor- 
est make  a  comfortable  living,  enjoy  life  as  well  as  those 
who  are  better  off,  and  are  content  with  their  condition. 
Contentment  is  on  the  highway  to  happiness,  you  know.' 

'Are  all  compelled  to  do  work?'  I  asked. 

'  Not  in  the  sense  that  they  are  driven  to  work,  Hke 
slaves.  They  are  brought  up  to  habits  of  industry,  and 
realize  that  in  labor  or  occupation  of  some  kind  there  is 
to  be  found  health  of  body  and  contentment  of  mind. 
Occupation  of  some  kind,  therefore,  becomes  congenial 
to  all.  Of  course  people  with  ample  means  can  live  with- 
out labor.  They  can  travel  if  they  choose,  but  few  care 
to  spend  a  life  in  ease  when  the  world  about  them  is 
busy.  Besides,'  said  the  patriarch,  'public  opinion,  which 
is  most  potent  in  this  age,  strongly  condemns  an  aimless 
and  idle  life.  Of  course  the  great  mass  of  the  people 
have  to  labor  from  necessity  —  a  grand  stimulant,  by  the 
way — but  their  hours  of  labor  are  not  long,  their  work 
not  exhausting,  their  compensation  ample,  and  they  have 
abundant  leisure  for  study,  amusement  and  recreation. 
They  and  their  families  can  attend  interesting  and  inform- 
ing lectures,  concerts,  and  other  places  of  amusement 


64  BECIPROCITT. 

free  of  charge,  as  the  commune  provides  these  things 
out  of  its  own  resources.' 

I  was  surprised  at  the  last  statement,  but  before  I  could 
ask  another  question  we  arrived  at  the  Wellman  home. 
The  patriarch's  son  (my  traveling  companion),  his  son 
and  grandson,  and  the  women  of  the  family,  were  grouped 
in  front  of  the  house  to  receive  us.  The  male  members 
were  at  leisure,  as  no  business  was  done  from  noon  to  2 
p.  m.,  or  rather  14  o'clock,  and  included  the  siesta.  The 
greetings  of  the  family  were  cordial  and  pleasant,  and 
the  boy,  after  he  had  kissed  his  great-grand-parents, 
came  over  to  me,  put  his  arms  around  my  neck  and 
kissed  me — bless  him!  We  now  entered  the  house  and, 
after  ablutions,  assembled  in  the  dining  room. 

'  I  have  today,  Mr.  Wonder,  what  may  be  a  novelty  in 
the  way  of  cooking  for  you  and  hope  you  will  enjoy  it,' 
said  Mrs.  Wellman.  *  It  is  a  fowl  which  has  been  cooked 
by  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  in  our  solar  range.  This 
form  of  cooking  is  done  only  on  clear  days.' 

I  thanked  her  for  the  privilege  of  this  enjojTnent;  in- 
deed it  seemed  as  if  the  fine  roast  capon  had  a  new  and 
more  appetizing  flavor  in  consequence  of  the  new  mode 
of  cooking.  When  I  expressed  myself  to  that  effect,  a 
pleased  smile  lighted  the  good  woman's  countenance; 
she  said : 

'  Do  you  know  I  have  the  same  fancy  in  regard  to  this 
form  of  cookery,  and  though  I  feel  that  perhaps  the 
imagination  may  have  something  to  do  with  this  idea,  I 
am  yet  in  doubt  if  it  be  not  a  fact  of  the  palate  rather 
than  a  fancy.     Our  ordinary  electric  heat  is,  we  know, 


EECIPROCITY. 


65 


only  another  form  of  sun  energy,  yet  it  would  seem  as  if 
the  more  direct  rays  had  a  purer  virtue  in  them  than 
they  could  have  after  several  transformations.' 

The  meal  was  most  enjoyable,  due  as  much  to  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  viands  as  to  the  pleasant  and  agreeable 
conversation,  in  which  I  took  part.  At  the  close  of  the 
meal  I  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the  solar  cooker,  which 
was  graciously  granted  by  my  hostess,  who  guided  me  to 
a  piazza  on  the  south  side  of  the  house  and  showed  me  a 
portable  range  or  cooker,  of  light  construction,  coated  on 
the  outside  with  a  covering  of  asbestos,  and  with  an  oven 
door  of  mica  plates.  Above  this  were  arranged  a  series 
of  convex  lenses  focused  through  pipe  openings  on  metal 
plates  inside  the  oven,  which  could  be  in  this  way 
heated  to  the  desired  temperature  for  cooking.  The 
lenses,  when  the  range  was  adjusted  to  the  desired  con- 
centration, were  maintained  in  focus  by  a  clockwork 
movement,  something  hke  that  used  for  siderial  teles- 
copes to  make  them  follow  the  movement  of  the  sun,  or 
rather  of  the  earth  as  against  it. 

'  We  use  this  cooker  constantly  when  the  sun  shines,' 
said  my  hostess,  *■  summer  and  winter.  In  stormy 
weather  we  keep  it  under  cover.  It  is  no  more  trouble 
to  operate  than  an  electric  range.' 

*Are  these  solar  cookers  in  general  use?'  I  asked. 

'Yes,  quite  generally;  all  who  desire  them  can  have 
them.  They  cost  the  user  nothing  except  a  small  yearly 
rental,  as  with  electric  ranges,  only  the  latter  are  more 
costly  to  operate  as  we  have  to  pay  for  electric  current,' 
she  said. 


66  RECIPROCITY. 

As  we  returned  to  the  sitting  room  she  added ;  '  If  you 
are  curious  about  it,  I  would  be  pleased  to  show  you  my 
kitchen  and  storerooms,  when  you  have  the  time  to  see 
them,' 

I  thanked  her,  said  I  would  be  delighted  to  see  them, 
and  we  rejoined  the  family  group  on  the  veranda,  where, 
with  hammocks  swung  and  reclining  chairs  arranged,  all 
was  prepared  for  a  short  season  of  rest  and  quiet.  All 
reclined.  My  host,  in  the  course  of  conversation,  asked 
if  I  used  tobacco.  I  replied  that  I  did  not  use  the  weed 
in  any  form. 

'  I  am  glad  of  it,'  said  the  patriarch.  '  The  habit  of 
smoking  is  a  filthy  one,  disagreeable  to  all  but  users,  and 
which  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  suppress,  though  users  of 
the  weed  are  comparatively  few  today.  No  one  smokes 
in  the  streets  or  when  at  work,  and  children  are  now 
carefully  guarded  against  acquiring  the  pernicious  habit. 
With  us  now  smoking  can  only  be  indulged  in  in  the 
open  air,  on  private  holdings.  The  chewing  habit  is 
practically  extinct.' 

'Are  wines  and  liquors  sold  in  your  town?'  I  asked. 

*  Alcoholic  drinks,  except  a  very  light  wine  and  a  mild 
malt  liquor,  are  unknown  to  our  people  as  beverages. 
Alcohol  is  made  in  great  quantities  for  power  purposes, 
but  it  is  so  treated  in  the  manufacture  that  it  is  not  fit  to 
drink,  and  nobody  thinks  of  it  in  that  connection  because 
it  is  known  to  be  a  virulent  poison.  Wine  is  sometimes 
used  in  sickness,  and  beer  with  less  than  two  per  cent,  of 
alcohol  is  drank  mostly  in  warm  weather,  other  and 
and  more  wholesome  non-alcoholic  drinks  being  common 


EECIPROCITT.  67 

beverages  and  sold  for  one  cent  a  glass.  Brandy,  rum 
and  whiskey  are  regarded  as  strictly  medicinal  prepara- 
tions and  can  be  obtained  cnly  in  limited  quantities  on 
physicians'  prescriptions.  The  habit  of  alcohol  drinking, 
I  am  happy  to  say,  has  practically  disappeared  from  the 
world,  and  with  it  all  the  attendant  misery  and  wretched- 
ness of  human  life.' 

For  about  an  hour  we  rested  and  shared  in  the  general 
quietude.  Then  there  was  an  awakening  and  evidences 
of  bustle  and  activity  on  every  hand.  Carriages  and  cars 
began  running  on  the  highways,  and  people  on  foot 
crowded  the  walks.  Mr.  Wellman  and  his  son  promptly 
started  for  their  stations  in  the  store,  and  the  women 
went  about  their  household  duties.  The  matron  told  us 
that  she  would  not  accompany  us  on  our  afternoon  ex- 
cursion, but  said  she  would  go  with  us  on  the  morrow,  as 
she  desired  to  show  me  what  the  women  of  the  thirtieth 
century  were  doing  in  the  service  and  the  well-being  of 
society. 

'  While  we  have  equal  rights  with  the  other  sex,'  she 
explained,  '  our  work  and  duties  vary  somewhat  from 
theirs,  as  you  shall  learn.  We  do  not  aim  to  do  all  the 
kinds  of  work  that  men  do ;  why  should  we  when  we 
have  work  and  opportunity  enough  to  do  our  part  in 
lines  and  ways  more  congenial  to  our  tastes,  in  our  own 
exclusive  sphere,  so  to  speak,  which  is  comprehensive 
enough  to  give  the  more  leisurely  of  us  full  employment 
and  what  is  more  to  the  point  a  vast  amount  of  genuine 
satisfaction?' 


68  RECIPROCITY. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  Tilt  at  Windmills,  and  Other  Things  op  General 
Interest  to  the  Inquirer. 

When  we  were  seated  in  the  carriage  and  under  way 
I  asked  the  patriarch  what  his  wife  meant  by  the  term 
'  equal  rights.' 

'I  presume  she  meant  what  the  words  implied,'  he  res- 
ponded. '  Women  are  now  the  equals  of  men  as  citizens 
in  all  respects.  They  vote  at  elections,  hold  public  offices, 
control  their  own  personal  property,  as  men  do,  sit  on 
juries  (not  mixed  ones,  however,  but  with  persons  of 
their  own  sex,  where  women  are  on  trial,)  and  are  also 
eligible  for  election  to  any  office  in  the  town,  county  and 
and  state,  and  even  for  federal  positions.  They  can  prac- 
tise law,  medicine  and  surgery,  and  indeed  can  follow 
any  occupation  they  may  choose,  though  after  marriage 
they  seldom  engage  in  any  occupation  that  would  inter- 
fere with  their  domestic  duties,  for  home  and  family  are 
paramount  in  woman's  life.' 

This  was  a  surprise  to  me,  but  I  concluded  that  to  the 
influence  of  women  in  public  affairs  was  perhaps  largely 
due  the  abolition  of  liquor  selling  and  the  sentiment  op- 
posed to  the  use  of  tobacco,  as  women  are  the  greatest 
sufferers  from  the  vices  that  accompany  their  use.  I  had 
noticed  the  absence  of  horses  on  the  highways  and  fields 
and  now  inquired  the  cause. 

'Horses,'  he  repUed,  'are  rarely  used  nowadays.  They 
are  not  allowed  on  highways  harnessed  to  vehicles,  nor 


EECIPKOCITT.  69 

saddled  for  riding  purposes.  If  taken  over  the  highways 
they  must  be  led,  for  they  are  liable  to  be  frightened  at 
the  appearance  and  noise  of  motor  vehicles.  They  are 
sometimes  employed  in  the  cultivation  of  small  farms  as 
well  as  large  ones  like  those  carried  on  for  the  town,  but 
only  in  certain  lines  of  labor,  power-operated  machines 
doing  nearly  all  kinds  of  farm  work.  It  is  found  that 
even  on  small  farms  horse  labor  costs  more  than  mechani- 
cal power  to  do  farm  work,  and  then  there  is  the  constant 
care  in  feeding  and  looking  after  the  animals ;  but  men 
naturally  like  horses,  inheriting  this  affection  from  horse- 
owning  and  horse-loving  ancestors.  Neats  cattle,  sheep, 
hogs,  and  poultry  comprise  our  domestic  animals,  all  of 
which  are  more  or  less  useful.' 

'Alas,'  I  mentally  said,  'has  the  day  of  sentiment  also 
been  left  behind  in  this  utilitarian  age  when  that  noblest 
and  gentlest  and  faithfulest  of  man's  servants,  the  horse, 
is  replaced  by  a  man-created  machine  ! '  Then,  aloud, 
*I  regret  the  absence  of  this  noble  animal.  Why  should 
he  be  replaced  by  a  mere  machine  ? ' 

<It  is  his  fate  in  the  process  of  evolution,'  returned 
the  old  man. 

'I  notice,  also,'  I  said,  'the  absence  of  dogs  and  cats 
in  your  town.  I  do  not  see  them  on  the  streets  or  about 
the  houses,  and  have  not  heard  a  dog  bark  since  I  came 
to  town.     Have  you  no  dogs  or  cats?' 

'  We  have  no  use  for  either  dogs  or  cats.  They  have 
been  eliminated  with  most  of  the  wild  animals.  Even 
rats  and  mice  have  been  exterminated,  and  are  no  longer 
a  pest  to  farm  and  household.     Electrical  contrivances 


70  RECIPROCITY. 

have  destroyed  them  as  well  as  most  insect  pests,  such  as 
mosquitoes,  house  flies,  bugs,  and  caterpillars  which  prey 
on  vegetation.' 

We  had  now  reached  the  summit  of  one  of  the  hills  on 
which  were  a  number  of  wind  engines.  These,  as  I  had 
been  told,  I  found  were  contained  in  small  circular  build- 
ings. The  funnels  on  the  roofs  were  wide-mouthed  and 
narrowed  at  their  junction  with  them.  The  vanes  on  the 
structures  were  large  enough  to  not  only  keep  the  funnel 
mouths  to  the  direction  of  the  wind  but  to  rotate  the 
entire  structures  when  the  wind  changed.  I  found,  on 
examining  one  of  the  houses,  that  this  was  not  as  difficult 
a  thing  to  accomplish  as  would  appear  at  first  sight ;  the 
building,  made  of  sheet  metal,  rested  upon  double  ball 
bearings,  such  as  were  in  general  use  on  power  shafting, 
axles,  and  on  railways,  as  I  had  already  noted. 

Entering  one  of  the  buildings,  I  found  what  appeared 
to  be  a  large  overshot  water-wheel.  I  noticed  that  the 
buckets  on  it  were  bulging  or  curved  on  the  upper  side, 
so  as  to  hold  a  larger  filling  of  air,  and  that  the  tliroat  of 
the  funnel  lapped  over  the  sides  of  the  wheel  like  a  hood, 
so  that  little  air  could  escape  before  acting  on  the  buckets 
to  turn  it.  The  buckets  and  rim  of  the  wheel  were  made 
of  aluminum,  and  the  shaft  and  radial  arms  and  frame- 
work of  an  alloy  of  that  metal  and  iron.  The  wheel  was 
a  light  affair  considering  its  size.  A  strong  metal  frame 
supported  the  wheel  shaft,  geared  to  which  were  genera- 
tors, arranged  so  as  to  be  operated  for  current  production 
in  proportion  to  the  force  of  the  moving  air,  and  were 
automatically  switched  in  or  out  of  operation  according 


KEClPEOCITt.  71 

to  the  force  of  the  wind.  The  current  thus  produced 
was  transmitted  to  storage  cells  located  in  various  parts 
of  the  town,  at  central  stations,  near  factories,  the  town 
mansion,  the  small  villages,  etc.  The  chemical  energy 
stored  in  these  batteries  was  maintained  at  normal  load 
by  wind  power,  except  in  seasons  of  calm,  when  power 
plants,  operated  by  alcohol  motors,  were  always  ready  to 
supply  the  deficiency.  There  were  several  hundred  of 
these  wind  engines  in  the  town,  perched  by  dozens  on  all 
the  eminences.  They  were  automatic  in  operation,  re- 
quiring inspection  only  about  once  a  week. 

'The  conducting  wires  leading  from  these  generators 
are  carried  in  underground  conduits  to  their  various  con- 
nections,' said  the  patriarch.  'And  this  reminds  me  that 
I  must  show  you  one  of  the  subways  of  our  town,  into 
which  the  conduits  lead.  The  subways  are,  of  course, 
employed  for  more  purjioses  than  that  of  carrying  elec- 
tric wires,  as  I  shall  explain  when  we  visit  one.  It  is 
now  time  to  return.' 

On  the  way  back  we  were  silent  long  enough  for  me  to 
observe  the  general  neatness,  order  and  good  taste  which 
pervaded  the  surroundings  of  the  dwellings  passed.  It 
was  a  pleasure  to  contemplate  the  highly  cultivated  gar- 
dens and  fields.  I  noticed  that  the  orchards  contained 
only  well-trained  and  thrifty  fruit  trees,  already  promis- 
ing a  plentiful  yield.  The  houses,  substantially  built, 
embraced  varying  features  of  architectural  design  and 
good  taste.  I  again  noted  that  the  walls  and  roofs  ap- 
peared to  be  composed  of  the  same  material,  and  spoke 
of  it  to  the  patriarch,  who  said; 


72  BECIPEOCITY. 

'After  we  have  visited  the  schools  and  some  other 
points  of  interest  I  will  take  you  to  see  a  new  house  in 
process  of  construction,  and  explain  the  methods  and 
materials  employed.  As  to  styles,  you  can  see  how  they 
vary.  Our  architects  are  all  the  time  improving  plans  or 
adding  new  features.  All  plans  of  new  buildings  are 
submitted  to  the  searching  scrutiny  of  sanitary  engineers, 
and  must  be  indorsed  by  at  least  one  of  them  before  they 
are  adopted.  The  architects,  builders,  plumbers  and 
mechanics  are  all  employed  and  paid  by  the  commune.' 

We  had  by  this  time  arrived  at  the  Wellman  residence. 
It  was  at  a  time  when  the  people  had  finished  their  day's 
labors.  The  schools  had  been  dismissed  earlier,  and  the 
children,  full  of  life  and  good  nature,  playful  and  romp- 
ing, were  on  their  way  home  after  a  season  of  recreation 
in  the  school  gymnasiums,  after  school  was  out.  The 
road  carriages  and  cars  were  well  filled  with  people,  all 
well  dressed  and  apparently  cheerful,  laughing,  chatting 
and  even  singing  in  many  instances,  as  if  just  returning 
from  a  holiday  picnic  instead  of  from  labor.  Here,  I 
thought,  was  good  evidence  that  people  under  this  new 
system  of  co-operative  labor  obtained  a  great  measure  of 
enjoyment  from  life;  that,  at  least,  their  labors  did  not 
exhaust  their  energies  or  depress  their  spirits. 

'These  people,'  said  the  patriarch,  'are  going  to  the 
town  mansion,  where  the  gymnasiums,  concert  halls,  lec- 
ture rooms,  theatres  and  museum  will  entertain  them  for 
an  hour  or  so,  for  we  do  not  at  this  season  of  the  year 
extend  our  amusement  hours  into  the  night.  If  you  so 
desire,  my  son  will  take  you  to  the  town  mansion  and 


RECIPROCITY. 


n 


let  you  see  how  our  people  are  amused  and  instructed  on 
week  days.' 

I  gladly  availed  myself  of  the  offer.  Mr.  Wellman, 
second,  took  his  place  by  my  side  at  the  steering  wheel, 
and  we  soon  bowled  up  to  the  town  mansion,  where  we 
found  crowds  of  people  of  all  ages  and  of  both  sexes. 
We  first  looked  in  at  the  gymnasiums,  which  were  filled 
with  young  people.  One  was  for  men  and  the  other  for 
women,  and  I  was  greatly  interested  in  the  work  of  both. 
The  performances  were  very  creditable,  and  many  of  the 
feats  I  witnessed  would  do  credit  to  professional  acrobats 
or  athletes.  All  feats  gave  evidence  of  great  strength 
and  wonderful  agility.  The  young  people  taking  part  in 
the  exercises  were  models  of  manly  and  womanly  devel- 
opment, as  well  as  of  robust  health.  I  remarked  on  this 
to  Mr.  Wellman,  and  he  said : 

'  Why  shouldn't  they  be  healthy  and  strong?  From 
infancy  they  are  well  fed,  trained  to  athletic  pastimes, 
taught  to  breathe  only  pure  air  amid  sanitary  surround- 
ings, brought  up  to  industrial  habits,  to  cultivate  their 
minds  as  well  as  their  dispositions,  and  to  live  a  life  of 
usefulness  and  temperate  enjoyment,  all  of  which  are 
conducive  to  the  best  development  of  body  and  mind.' 

We  next  visited  the  concert  hall.  A  symphony  was 
being  performed.  The  music  was  superb,  but  no  perfor- 
mers were  visible.  I  was  puzzled  at  this,  and  asked 
where  the  orchestra  was  located.  I  was  informed  that 
there  was  no  orchestra,  that  the  music  was  not  produced 
from  musical  instruments  but  was  formed  from  electrical 
waves  impinging  upon  diaphragms  of  telephone  trans- 


74  EECIPEOCITY. 

mitters,  the  impulses  being  automatically  made  m  key- 
board instruments.  The  scope  of  these  instruments,  it 
was  claimed,  was  very  comprehensive,  the  electrical  vib- 
rations being  so  much  more  rapid  than  those  mechanically 
produced  gave  to  the  notes  a  fuller  expression  and  to  the 
music  a  richer  harmony.  This  electrical  music,  I  was 
told,  could  be  and  was  transmitted  to  many  different 
places  by  wire  at  the  same  time.  He  called  my  attention 
to  a  large  telephone  receiver  and  megaphone  on  the  stage, 
from  which  came  the  music  of  the  symphony  in  delight- 
ful harmony. 

A  vocal  concert,  which  we  did  not  wait  for,  succeeded. 
We  now  went  to  the  lecture  hall,  a  spacious  auditorium, 
which  was  well  filled  with  people  of  both  sexes.  The 
lecturer  was  a  woman  of  mature  age,  with  expressive  face 
and  bright  eyes.  Her  voice  was  at  once  musical  and  im- 
pressive. Her  gestures  were  few  but  expressive.  Her 
theme  was  ethical.  Here  are  some  of  her  sayings  as  I 
recall  them: 

♦Happiness,'  she  began,  'is  a  temperament,  and  depends 
very  little  on  external  influences.  If  one  has  no  pain, 
has  food  enough  to  prevent  hunger,  with  clothes  and 
habitation  to  protect  from  the  elements,  he  has  the  essen- 
tials of  happiness,  so  far  as  physical  things  go.  His 
happiness  then  depends  upon  his  inner  state.  No  man 
can  be  happy  with  a  guilty  conscience.  No  man  can  be 
happy  who  is  filled  with  forebodings  of  the  future.  No 
man  can  be  happy  with  a  fretful,  morbid  disposition.  No 
man  can  be  happy  who  is  actuated  by  jealousy,  or  envy, 
or  egotism.     The  only  hope  of  happiness  is  to  live  right, 


RECIPROCITY.  75 

morally,  physically  and  mentally.  A  man  may  have  a 
clear  conscience  and  yet  be  actuated  by  a  great  many 
mistaken  notions,  and  thus  make  himself  and  others  very 
unhappy.  The  only  real  religion  is  charity  and  love. 
Charity  does  not  find  fault,  but  seeks  to  find  good  in 
in  everything.  A  person  who  sets  out  to  find  good  will 
find  it,  and  with  it  will  find  a  degree  of  happiness.  A 
person  who  sets  out  in  this  world  to  find  evil  will  find  it, 
and  with  it  he  will  find  wretchednss.  The  secret  of  hap- 
piness is  to  accept  our  lot  in  life  and  make  the  best  of  it. 
Patience,  contentment,  charity  for  others,  interest  in  the 
world  about  us,  these  are  the  conditions  of  happiness. 
Do  not  discuss  matters  unless  it  can  be  done  in  the  best 
of  humor.  Do  not  always  assume  that  you  are  right  and 
other  people  wrong.  If  you  wish  to  talk  such  matters 
over  with  them,  do  it  fairly,  do  it  courteously.  Treat 
them  as  if  they  were  your  equals.  Compare  notes  with 
them.  The  chances  are  you  will  learn  something  for 
your  benefit.  But  even  if  it  should  happen  that  you  are 
all  right  and  they  are  all  wrong,  you  will  be  much  more 
likely  to  do  them  good  if  you  assume  no  superiority  over 
them.  Spend  no  time  in  regrets.  Do  not  be  afraid  of 
the  future.  Hold  fast  to  the  conviction  that  right  will 
finally  triumph.  Never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  th« 
greatest  of  earthly  treasures  is  a  clear  conscience  and  a 
contented  mind.* 

I  noticed  that  young  people  of  both  sexes,  in  about 
equal  numbers,  composed  the  bulk  of  the  audience  in  this 
lecture  room,  and  it  was  pleasing  to  note  their  expressed 
approval  of  the  good  precepts  embodied  in  the  discourse. 


/  0  EECIPKOCITY. 

The  next  speaker  was  a  venerable  man.  His  discourse 
also  related  to  human  conduct.  Among  the  the  things 
he  said  I  recall  these : 

'  The  most  damaging  heresy  in  existence  is  a  chronic 
disbelief  in  human  nature.  People  are  naturally  inclined 
to  do  right  if  left  to  themselves.  People  are  apt  to  do 
wrong  when  they  are  hindered,  obstructed,  belittled.  It 
is  just  as  natural  for  people  to  become  domestic  and 
settle  down  as  it  is  for  birds  to  mate,  or  fishes  to  swim. 
It  seldom  requires  force  to  make  people  do  right.  It 
never  requires  force  to  guide  the  masses.  Now  and  then 
a  man  breaks  over  the  restrictions  of  public  opinion,  or 
turns  aside  from  the  course  of  life  that  human  instinct 
natm-ally  dictates.  Even  when  such  exceptional  cases 
occur  it  will  be  found  that  some  physical  derangement  or 
mental  aberration  is  the  cause  of  it.  Most  of  the  law- 
making of  the  past  was  due  to  disbelief  in  human  nature. 
The  average  politician  in  the  days  of  political  dominance 
had  made  himself  and  a  few  others  believe  that  the  masses 
needed  regulating ;  that  they  must  be  told  how  to  do  this 
and  how  to  do  that ;  that  it  must  be  specified  to  them 
what  they  might  do  and  what  they  might  not  do;  that  if 
people  were  not  directed  and  controlled  by  the  strong 
arm  of  the  law  everything  would  fall  into  confusion. 
This  was  long  ago  proved  to  be  a  fallacy.  Intelligence, 
self-respect  and  right  living  among  the  people  have  made 
regulative  and  restrictive  laws  largely  inoperative,  as 
having  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  the  life  of  the  people.' 

At  this  point  in  the  discourse  we  left  the  hall,  and 
visited  the  theatre.     The  play,  curiously  enough,  was  an 


RECIPROCITY.  77 

adaptation  of  the  <  Old  Homestead,'  '  a  very  old  and  popu- 
lar drama,'  as  Mr.  W.  characterized  it.  The  audience 
had  a  large  sprinkling  of  old  and  middle-aged  people  in 
it.  The  scene  we  witnessed  was  well  rendered  and  heart- 
ily enjoyed. 

'Old  and  middle-aged  people,'  remarked  Mr.  W., 
'seem  to  enjoy  lively  plays  best,  such  as  comedies  and 
farces,  while  the  younger  people  prefer  melodrama  and 
and  vaudeville  entertainments.  Tragedies  are  thought 
to  have  a  bad  influence  on  the  young  and  are  therefore 
not  in  favor.' 

When  the  scene  which  was  on  when  we  entered  was 
concluded,  Mr.  W.  suggested  that  we  go  into  the  hall 
adjoining  and  witness  feats  of  legerdemain  and  illusion. 
In  this  hall  we  found  mostly  young  people  and  some 
older  children.  Here  we  witnessed  many  clever  tricks, 
and  some  fine  biograph  scenes  said  to  have  been  taken 
hundreds  of  years  before,  which  were  greatly  enjoyed  by 
the  audience. 

'  These  pictures  of  actual  life-scenes  of  centuries  past,' 
said  Mr.W.,  '  are  to  my  mind  among  the  most  wonderful 
and  affecting  records  of  those  bygone  days  that  we  have. 
They  are  thoroughly  realistic,  and  it  seems  almost  mi- 
raculous to  have  in  this  way  actual  scenes  in  public  and 
in  domestic  life  of  a  remote  age  thus  faithfully  repro- 
duced.' 

We  now  returned  to  our  carriage,  and  arrived  at  the 
Wellman  residence  in  season  for  the  evening  meal,  which 
was,  as  usual,  a  cheerful  and  enjoyable  affair,  the  viands 
and   conversation   being  excellent.     I  described  to  the 


78  RECIPROCITY. 

family  my  impressions  of  the  things  I  had  seen  and  heard 
during  the  day,  and  asked,  among  other  questions,  how 
Sunday  was  observed. 

'  Sunday,'  said  the  patriarch,  (he  usually  answered  my 
questions,  when  present,  the  others  deferring  to  him,) 
'  Sunday  is  a  day  of  rest  from  labor  and  of  enjoyment  for 
the  people.  It  is  to  all  a  real  Sun  day — a  day  of  glad- 
ness, in  honor  of  the  parent  luminary  after  which  it  is 
named.  But  there  are  no  set  rules  for  its  observance 
beyond  a  general  cessation  from  labor,  and  people  choose 
ways  of  observing  the  day  that  best  suit  their  tastes  and 
inclinations.  Indeed  all  our  pastimes  and  recreations  are 
regulated  in  this  manner.  If  a  person  or  family  elect  to 
stay  at  home,  they  do  so  without  remark  or  criticism  being 
made.  It  is  their  own  affair  and  no  one  else's.  The  gym- 
nasium is  in  full  operation,  as  are  also  the  concert  halls, 
theatres,  lecture  rooms,  and  other  places  of  amusement 
and  instruction.  Any  one  can  go  to  any  or  all  of  them, 
admission  being  free  to  all. 

'  Then  Sunday  amusements  do  not  differ  from  those  of 
week  days,'  I  observed. 

'ISTot  materially,  only  there  are  more  of  them,'  he 
replied. 

'  But  have  you  no  special  religious  services  appropriate 
for  the  day?'  I  queried. 

'No;  why  should  we?  We  have  moral  lectures  on 
that  day  as  weU  as  every  day  in  the  week  for  all  who 
who  desire  to  attend  and  listen  to  them.  Are  they  not 
more  truly  religious  than  the  merely  theatrical  forms  of 
Pagan  or  of  Christian  worship?     What  better  religious 


RECIPROCITY.  79 

services  do  we  need  for  Sunday  than  the  inculcation  of 
sound  practical  morals?  And  this  service  is  maintained 
every  day  in  the  week  as  well  as  on  Sunday.  These 
lectures  are  not  intermittent  but  continuous,  as  they 
should  be,  in  order  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  people 
for  moral  and  mental  stimulation,  to  incite  them  to  con- 
tinue the  practice  of  good  and  wise  conduct.' 

*  Do  the  lecturers,  actors,  singers,  musicians  and  other 
public  entertainers  receive  compensation  for  their  ser- 
vices?' I  asked. 

*  These  entertainers  are  our  own  people,  and  have  their 
homes  with  us.  They  devote  their  time  and  talents  to 
the  work  for  which  they  have  fitted  themselves.  They 
are  paid  by  the  commune  for  their  services  as  mechanics, 
laborers,  teachers  and  professors  are.  I  do  not  mean 
that  all  workers  are  given  an  equal  rate  of  compensation, 
but  according  to  an  equitable  estimation  of  the  value  of 
their  services.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  very  little 
difference  between  the  lowest  and  highest  rates  of  com- 
pensation for  workers,  as  all  are  intelligent,  capable  and 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties.  In  the  gymna- 
siums, only  the  instructors  are  paid. 

*  I  notice,'  he  continued,  '  that  the  idea  of  the  commune 
doing  all  this  is  new  and  perhaps  surprising  to  you,  but 
a  little  reflection  will  show  you  how  feasible  it  is  as  well 
as  wise.  Our  industries  are  varied  and  yield  us  an  in- 
come greater  than  our  outlay  for  raw  material  and  labor. 
Our  income  from  rentals  of  houses  and  lands  pays  not 
only  all  town  expenditures  for  highways,  lighting  and 
heating,  but  for  administration  of  its  affairs.     At  the  end 


80  RECIPROCITT. 

of  the  year  we  usually  have  a  handsome  surplus  to  the 
credit  of  the  commune.  But  perhaps  it  would  be  clearer 
to  your  understanding  if  I  told  you  that  all  income,  from 
whatever  source,  goes  into  the  town  treasury,  out  of 
which  all  indebtedness  is  liquidated,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  year  the  accounts  show  the  year's  receipts  for  pro 
ducts,  the  outlay  for  wages,  etc.,  and  the  profits.  If  it 
is  found  that  the  surplus  over  expenses  and  providing  for 
the  sinking  fund,  is  large,  rents  are  reduced  for  the  ensu- 
ing year  or  rates  of  compensation  increased  to  an  extent 
that  seems  justified.  If  there  should  be  a  deficit  rents 
would  have  to  be  increased.  But  in  my  day  there  has 
never  been  a  deficit,  though  on  several  occasions  there 
were  handsome  surpluses.  You  can  see,  therefore,  that 
we  are  practically  our  own  landlords,  our  own  employers, 
our  own  instructors  and  amusers,  are  thoroughly  inde- 
pendent and,  I  may  add,  interdependant.  In  a  word, 
we  are  simply  co-operative.' 

'What  is  your  form  of  town  government?'  I  asked, 

'  As  to  local  affairs,  we  govern  after  the  manner  of  the 
original  New  England  town  government  or  rather  regu- 
lation, for,  in  the  original  sense  of  that  term,  we  are  not 
governed,'  he  replied. 

'  You  have,  of  course,  statutory  laws,'  I  suggested. 

<Yes;  we  have  laws  on  the  statute  books,  but  most  of 
them  are  practically  inoperative.  Laws  were  made  to 
keep  men  in  order,  to  make  them  act  justly  toward  one 
another.  If  they  do  thus  and  are  orderly,  there  will  be 
no  violation.  No  one  apprehends  any  trouble  from  pen- 
alties he  does  not  incur.     Bonds  and  written  contracts 


EKCIPEOCITY.  81 

between  individuals  are  unknown,  the  word  or  promise 
of  persons  taking  an  obligation  being  binding  in  matters 
of  contract.  Of  course  it  is  different  in  dealing  with  the 
commune.  Leases  are  given  with  lands  and  dwellings 
receipts  for  rents  paid  the  town  and  for  labor  rendered  it 
are  given.  All  laws  passed  by  the  state  affecting  our 
local  affairs  are  subject  to  our  acceptance  by  vote  in  town 
meeting.  They  are  usually  passed,  however,  in  response 
to  our  call  for  such  enactments,  but,  even  when  passed,  if 
they  do  not  suit  us,  or  rather  a  majority  of  the  voters, 
they  do  not  become  operative.  This  is  our  right,  but  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  we  do  not  now  call,  and  have  not  for 
many  years  called,  for  any  laws.  We  can  make  our  own 
local  regulations,  as  we  have  the  right  to  do,  and  enforce 
them.  We  do  not  interfere  with  the  regulations  of  other 
communes,  and  theirs  do  not  conflict  with  ours.  No  con- 
fusion or  contention,  you  see,  can  result  from  so  simple  a 
system.  The  individual  is  the  political,  industrial  and 
social  unit  of  the  town  as  the  town  is  of  the  state.  We 
are  intensely  democratic  in  family,  town  and  state  affairs, 
and  while  thoroughly  co-operative  and  communistic,  do 
not  surrender  our  individuality.' 

'  How  are  your  town  ofiicers  chosen,  and  how  long  is 
their  tenure  of  office?'  I  asked. 

'  Two  qualifications  for  holding  any  public  office  are 
required  —  fitness  and  merit.  This  is  our  system :  Every 
ten  years  a  town  council  is  chosen  by  ballot  in  town 
meetings  held  in  the  different  precincts.  This  body  is 
composed  of  six  men  and  six  women,  who  jointly  choose 
a  chairman  or  moderator.     This  council  has  the  power 


82  RECIPROCITY. 

to  appoint  all  town  officers  and  heads  of  departments^ 
which  includes  superintendents  of  industries,  masters  of 
advanced  and  primary  schools,  teachers,  male  and  female 
physicians  and  surgeons,  storekeepers,  superintendents  of 
power  and  lighting,  patrolmen  for  regulation  of  high- 
way traffic,  who  are  located  in  the  different  precincts, 
two  in  each,  one  for  day  and  one  for  night  service,  and 
a  superintendent  of  the  town  farm,  as  well  as  town  trea- 
surer. The  patrolmen  are  provided  with  light  runabout 
wagons. 

'  The  heads  of  departments,'  continued  Mr.  W.,  '  are 
rarely  changed,  unless  they  have  reached  the  age  of  re- 
tirement, 65  years.  These  heads  appoint  their  clerks  and 
assistants,  who  are  retained  during  efficiency.  The 
town  treasurer  is  usually  re-elected  from  year  to  year. 
He  is  the  only  town  officer  under  bond,  but  this  is  more 
a  matter  of  form  than  of  security  nowadays.  His  duties 
are  to  receive  all  monej^s  due  the  town,  and  pay  al^ 
claims  for  services  and  other  matters  of  expenditure.  His 
accounts  are  audited  every  week  by  three  auditors,  also 
appointed  by  the  council,  the  money  and  other  assets 
on  hand  counted,  and  a  report  of  the  same  returned  to 
the  council.' 

'I  suppose  your  sinking  fund  is  invested,'  I  said. 

*It  is.  Government  bonds  bearing  one  and  a  half  per 
cent,  interest  per  annum  are  readily  procui-able  through 
the  post  office  department,  and  are  redeemable  at  the 
post  office  banks  at  any  time,'  he  said. 

'  How  do  people  borrow  money,  and  what  rate  of  in- 
|«rest  is  usually  paid?'  I  asked. 


RECIPROCITY.  83 

'As  business  is  now  carried  on,  no  one  is  compelled  to 
borrow,  unless  through  some  extraordinary  need.  Earn 
and  pay  as  you  go  is  the  general  rule.  The  prudent, 
therefore,  are  never  in  need,  and  generally  have  some- 
thing ahead.  Indeed  nearly  every  one  has  more  or  less 
money  laid  up,  for  thrift  and  saving  are  the  rule.  There 
is  no  need  of  borrowing  while  people  have  their  health 
and  are  willing  to  work.  If  they  become  sick,  meet  with 
misfortune  and  run  out  of  means  the  commune  will  remit 
their  rent,  and  if  in  want  it  will  relieve  them  without 
charge.  A  superintendent  of  relief  of  the  needy  is  ap- 
pointed, whose  duty  it  is  to  look  into  all  such  cases  and 
provide  medical  and  other  forms  of  relief.  In  our  expe- 
rience those  usually  needing  relief  are  the  victims  of 
accident.  Beyond  such  cases  his  duties  rarely  call  him, 
replied  Mr.  W. 

'  I  suppose  you  have  courts  of  law  for  the  punishment 
of  crime  and  the  enforcement  of  contracts,'  I  said. 

'  In  regard  to  the  enforcement  of  contracts,'  he  said, 
'  the  courts  are  very  rarely  appealed  to.  Should  a  case 
come  up,  the  judge  or  magistrate  has  the  contestants 
cited  before  him.  He  listens  to  their  stories  and  the 
evidence  of  witnesses,  and  in  a  brotherly  spirit  indicates 
a  way  of  and  advises  a  settlement.  Criminal  cases  must 
be  tried.' 

'By  jury?'  I  asked. 

'  Yes,  in  cases  of  homicide,  aggravated  assault,  felony, 
and  other  statutory  crimes ;  but  such  violations  are  very 
rare.     Indeed  we  seldom  hear  of  them,'  he  said. 

*  Are  such  trials  reported  in  the  newspapers?'  I  asked. 


84  BECIPROCITY. 

*  Not  in  detail,'  he  replied.  '  This  is  especially  true  in 
cases  involving  brutality.  We  are  careful  not  to  corrupt 
the  minds  of  our  youth  by  publishing  details  of  crimes 
that  must  be  horrible  and  disgusting  to  all  pure-minded 
persons.' 

'How  are  capital  crimes  punished?'  I  asked. 

'By  life  imprisonment,  at  hard  labor.  There  is  no  such 
procedure  as  the  taking  of  human  life  under  our  laws. 
Confinement,  isolation  from  the  world,  is  the  lot  of  con- 
firmed criminals.  We  place  them  where  tlicir  labor,  if 
they  are  in  good  health,  will  at  least  support  them,  and 
where  they  will  have  no  opportunity  to  do  further  mis- 
chief. But  cases  of  this  nature  are  now  exceedingly  rare, 
and  are  becoming  more  so  as  the  years  pass.  We  take 
the  most  careful  precautions  against  such  crimes  by  teach- 
ing children  that  love,  mercy,  truth,  honesty,  honor  and 
charity  are  among  the  best  virtues  which  make  for  hu- 
man happiness,  as  industry  does  for  independence  and 
comfort  in  life. 

'We  begin  with  them  when  they  are  young,'  said 
Mr.W.,  'and  instil  into  their  minds  the  sentiments  which 
tend  to  the  formation  of  right  habits  of  thought  and 
action,  which  we  promote  by  example  as  well  as  by  pre- 
cept, and  when  they  grow  up  these  habits  will  have  been 
so  woven  into  their  characters  that  they  will  not  depart 
from  them  in  practice. 

♦  It  has  been  shown  by  ample  observation  and  experi- 
ence,' pursued  Mr.  W.,  '  that  traits  of  moral  uprightness 
and  evenness  of  temper  and  disposition  in  parents  become 
hereditary  in  children.     It  is  likewise  a  demonstrated 


RECIPROCITY.  85 

fact  that  we  transmit,  with  certain  modifications,  our 
mental  and  moral  as  well  as  our  physical  characteristics 
or  peculiarities  to  our  descendants.  Indeed,  in  the  line 
of  descent,  or  evolution,  we  are  the  inheritors  of  many  of 
the  dominant  traits  of  our  forefathers  and  foremothers, 
from  the  days  of  human  savagery  to  the  present  day,  and 
though  many  of  their  bad  or  brutal  qualities  may  be  latent 
in  our  natures  they  are  not  likely-to  be  developed  except 
under  favoring  influences,  such  as  contact  with  criminal  or 
abandoned  characters,  while  right  teaching  and  good  in- 
fluences will  practically  coimteract  them  to  such  a  degree 
that  in  time  they  cease  to  be  impelling  tendencies.  We 
therefore  make  due  allowance  for  the  influence  of  heredity 
on  individual  character,  and  when  we  find  children  of 
erring  parents  in  our  schools  we  give  them  more  care 
and  watchful  consideration  than  we  do  those  whose  pa- 
rents are  of  better  nature.' 

Here  was  suggestive  reasoning,  and  the  more  I  consid- 
ered it  the  stronger  was  I  impressed  with  the  wisdom  of 
this  method  to  secure  morality  in  the  individual  by  be- 
ginning in  infancy  to  mould  the  man.  It  was  Soloman's 
method. 

The  conversation  now  took  another  turn ;  the  happen- 
ings of  the  day  and  matters  of  general  interest  to  the 
family  were  discussed.  In  these,  however,  I  could  take 
no  active  part,  as  my  position  was  that  of  a  stranger,  who 
could  only  ask  for  information. 

"When  the  hour  for  retiring  came,  I  was  saluted  by  the 
entire  family  with  pleasant  words  and  kindly  wishes  for 
a  sound  and  healthful  sleep,  which  I  have  no  doubt  had 


86  RECIPROCITY. 

a  grateful  and  soothing  influence  on  me,  for  when  I  laid 
down  a  calm  slumber  at  once  fell  on  me,  and  I  lost  con- 
sciousness of  the  flight  of  time  until  I  awakened  into  the 
brightness  of  a  clear  summer  morning.  Hastily  dressing, 
I  descended  in  season  to  find  the  family  gathered  on  the 
veranda  and  taking  part  in  the  simple  devotion  of  the 
day,  the  patriarch  leading. 

The  family  now  assembled  for  breakfast.  I  casually 
remarked  to  my  hostess  that  she  and  her  daughter  must 
be  very  early  risers  to  have  the  meal  prepared  at  such  an 
hour.     She  smiled  and  said : 

'  We  prepare  our  breakfast  viands  ready  for  cooking 
over  night  and  place  them  in  the  electric  oven.  When 
the  proper  time  comes,  that  is,  the  time  for  its  action, 
the  heating  or  rather  cooking  current  is  turned  on  auto- 
matically. Notice  of  this  is  given  by  the  ringing  of  a 
bell  in  our  chamber,  and  by  the  time  we  have  made  our 
toilet  and  taken  part  in  the  morning  service  the  viands 
are  cooked  and  the  chocolate  made.  All  that  we  then 
have  to  do  is  to  place  the  food  on  the  tables,  the  work  of 
only  a  few  minutes,  and  the  meal  is  ready.' 

I  now  noticed  that  the  table  ware,  while  having  a  fine 
china  finish  and  artistic  decoration,  was  neither  china  nor 
crockery  ware,  and  remarked  about  this  peculiarity. 

'  These  dishes  are  of  metal,  covered  with  enamel.  They 
are  unbreakable,  and  have  entirely  superseded  china  and 
crockery  ware,'  said  the  patriarch.  '  We  will  visit  the 
factory  where  these  dishes  are  made  when  I  take  you  to 
see  our  industries.' 

Breakfast  over,  we  went  to  the  sitting  room,  where  the 


RECIPROCITY.  87 

morning  papers  awaited  us,  I  now  observed,  for  the 
first  time,  that  there  were  some  local  publications  there. 
I  took  up  one  of  these  which,  at  first  glance,  seemed  to 
be  statistical  in  character,  but  on  examination  I  soon  be- 
came interested  in  its  contents.  This  publication  con- 
tained a  list  of  the  schools  of  the  town,  the  names  of  the 
principals,  teachers  and  pupils  in  each,  the  daily  attend- 
ance, and  a  list  of  absentees  of  the  past  week.  Then 
came  a  list  of  the  factories,  names  of  superintendents  and 
workers ;  their  attendance,  and  a  record  of  the  absence  of 
some  of  the  workers  and  the  reasons  therefor.  The  same 
enumeration  of  all  other  educational,  industrial  and  civic 
organizations  in  the  town  was  also  recorded  in  the  paper, 
which  likewise  contained  lists  of  births,  marriages,  deaths 
and  reports  of  local  happenings  during  the  previous  week. 
On  the  last  page  was  a  tabulation  of  the  contents  of  the 
paper,  where  at  a  glance  the  educational,  industrial  and, 
to  a  certain  extent,  the  social  condition  of  the  town  could 
be  connoted.  I  learned,  on  inquiry,  that  these  weekly 
bulletins  were  supplemented  at  the  end  of  each  year  by 
a  compilation  of  the  educational  and  industrial  statistics 
contained  in  them,  furnishing  a  complete  record  of  the 
affairs  of  the  town  for  the  year. 

I  asked  if  the  same  system  of  record  prevailed  in  all 
the  towns  of  the  country,  and  was  informed  that  it  did, 
and  that  at  the  end  of  each  year  all  these  yearly  records 
were  gathered  by  the  fstate  librarian,  and  while  being 
given  a  place  in  the  state  archives  were  also  condensed 
into  a  single  large  volume,  which  was  sent  to  the  state 
libraries  of  all  the  states  and   the   national   library  at 


88  RECIPROCITY, 

Washington.  The  statistics,  I  may  add,  also  gave  the 
values  of  the  products  of  the  industries,  so  that  the  vol- 
ume of  the  business  of  the  towns  and  states  was  comprised 
in  these  yearly  compends. 

Noticing  that  the  deaths  recorded  for  the  past  week 
were  very  few  in  proportion  to  the  population  of  the  town, 
and  they  were  altogether  of  aged  people,  varying  from 
90  to  over  100  years,  I  expressed  astonishment  at  the 
fact.  'Is  there  no  infant  mortality?'  I  asked,  and  was 
told  that  there  was  rarely  a  death  among  children  and 
young  people,  except  trom  accident.  Children's  diseases 
as  in  my  day  were  unknown.  There  were  now  no  such 
diseases  as  measles,  scarlet  fever,  whooping  cough,  and 
such  like  ailments  to  contend  with.  There  was  no  small- 
pox, no  typhoid  fever.  Women  sometimes  died  during 
childbirth,  but  this  was  of  rare  occurrence. 

This  was  all  new  to  me,  and  while  on  the  subject  of 
necrology  I  inquired  about  funerals,  modes  of  sepulture, 
mourning  customs,  etc.,  and  was  told  that  practically 
there  were  no  funerals  such  as  were  customary  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Republic,  and  that  while  there  was 
mourning  among  relatives  and  friends,  it  was  not  mani- 
fested by  outward  show. 

'We  have  no  places  of  burial,'  said  the  patriarch. 
'  When  death  is  assured  the  body  is  incinerated,  the  ashes 
being  disposed  of  as  the  relatives  desire,  though  as  a  rule 
they  are  consigned  to  earth.  There  are  two  crematories 
in  the  town,  one  operated  by  the  direct  heat  of  the  sun 
and  the  other  by  the  electric  current  —  so  that  the  same 
energy  which  fed  and  fostered  the  body  through  its  life, 


RECIPROCITY. 


89 


when  no  longer  animated  takes  it  back  to  its  embrace, 
and  thus  the  cycle  of  human  existence  is  completed. 
There  are  no  funeral  rites  beyond  the  gathering  of  mourn- 
ing relatives  and  friends,  and  a  brief  address  by  the  head 
of  the  family,  after  which  the  body  is  taken  to  the  crema- 
tory and  disposed  of.' 

My  hostess,  Mrs.  Wellman,  now  came  into  the  room 
and  said  to  me :  '  I  planned  to  show  you  my  kitchen 
yesterday,  but  you  were  so  busily  engaged  up  to  the 
evening  that  I  did  not  have  an  opportunity  of  doing  so. 
Now,  sir,  if  you  will  come  with  me  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
give  you  a  view  of  it.' 

I  responded  with  alacrity,  for  I  was  curious  from  what 
I  had  already  heard  of  it  and  tasted  of  its  output  to  learn 
more  of  the  details  of  this  department.  On  our  passage 
through  the  dining  room  I  missed  the  small  dining  tables. 
She  saw  me  looking  about  for  them,  and  said : 

'  I  see  you  miss  the  dining  tables,'  and  opening  a  slid- 
ing door  she  ushered  me  into  a  large  and  well-lighted 
apartment  —  the  kitchen.  Here  were  the  missing  tables, 
ranged  in  a  row,  and  I  at  once  comprehended  a  new 
utility  for  them.  They  could  be  wheeled  into  the  kitchen 
after  each  meal,  and  when  a  meal  was  to  be  served  the 
prepared  dishes  were  placed  on  them  and  they  were  again 
wheeled  into  place  in  the  dining  room.  No  empty  dishes 
or  dishes  with  food  to  carry  back  and  forth,  and  thus  so 
much  of  drudgery  averted. 

In  a  large  sink  was  a  covered  metal  can  or  tub  of 
generous  dimensions.  '  This,'  she  said,  '  is  a  dish  washer 
and  drier,  and  you  can  now  see  it  in  operation.' 


90  KECIPROCITY. 

She  pressed  an  electric  button,  and  steaming  liot  water 
flowed  freely  through  a  large  sprayer  on  the  inside,  the 
wire  rack  on  which  the  dishes  were  placed  revolving  in 
the  meantime.  After  about  a  minute  of  this  manipula- 
tion the  water  was  shut  off,  the  cover  raised,  a  few  puffs 
of  dry  warm  air  sent  through  the  washer  from  a  heated 
electric  fan,  and  the  dishes  stood  revealed  clean  and 
shining. 

'  We  never  have  to  wipe  our  dishes,'  she  said.  '  The 
heat  from  the  washing  water  and  the  warm  air  from  the 
electric  fan  wash  and  dry  them  thoroughly,  and  when 
cool  they  are  easily  replaced  on  tlie  tables  and  arranged 
for  service.' 

Further  along  were  set  tubs  used  for  washing.  She 
explained  how  soiled  clothes  were  submitted  in  these  to 
mechanical  manipulation  in  chemically  prepared  Avarm 
water,  rinsed  and  wrung  out  by  mechanical  means  ready 
to  dry  in  fine  weather,  though  in  wet  weather  or  in  winter 
there  was  a  drying  room  in  the  house  where  they  were 
dried  by  heated  air.  The  process  of  washing  took  but  a 
few  minutes,  and  no  drudgery  attended  it. 

I  was  next  shown  the  oven  or  cooking  apparatus.  A 
hood  was  suspended  above  it,  which  could  be  raised  or 
lowered  at  will.  This  carried  off  to  a  ventilating  shaft 
the  fumes  given  out  in  cooking.  On  the  top  of.the  oven, 
which  was  not  unlike  a  coal  or  wood-burning  range  minus 
the  fire-pot,  were  pots  or  boilers  with  hinged  covers. 
Inside  of  these,  covered  with  enamel,  were  resistance 
coils,  to  heat  water,  make  stews,  soups,  or  boil  meats  and 
vegetables.     Below  there  were  two  ovens,  for  roasting 


EECIPROCITY.  91 

meats,  baking  bread,  etc.,  which  were  heated  in  the 
same  manner.  Ileat-recording  thermometers  were  used 
to  record  the  temperatures  in  the  pots  and  ovens,  in  which 
the  heat  could  be  regulated  at  will. 

Mrs.  Wellman  next  opened  a  door  near  the  stove,  in- 
side of  which  was  another  door  with  glass  panels,  permit- 
ting an  inspection  of  the  interior  of  the  place,  which  was 
lighted  by  a  glow  lamp  from  outside. 

'Here,'  she  explained,  'is  our  cold  storage  closet  where 
perishable  provisions  as  well  as  canned  foods  are  stored. 
The  cooling  of  this  room  is  done  by  the  same  electric  cur- 
rent that  cooks  our  food  and  heats  our  houses  in  winter, 
which  the  good  sun  sends  through  the  winds.  A  curious 
transformation  of  energy,  is  it  not?  We  keep  our  dried 
fruit  here,  also,  and  our  flour  of  milk,  for  the  air  is  very 
dry  as  well  as  cool.' 

The  mention  of  <  flour  of  milk '  excited  my  curiosity, 
and  I  asked  what  it  was.  She  described  it  to  me  as  an 
invention  of  some  antiquity  by  which  the  caseine  and  fat 
and  sugar  of  the  milk  were  combined  in  granular  form, 
and  soluble  in  water  again,  the  water  in  the  original  fluid 
having  been  evaporated  in  the  process.  This  substance* 
she  said,  could  be  readily  converted  into  milk  again,  or 
be  used  like  granulated  sugar  in  tea  or  chocolate. 

'  But,'  she  added,  '  while  we  use  it  in  cooking  and  in 
bread-making,  I  always  use  fresh  milk  and  cream  in  my 
chocolate  and  tea.'  Of  the  canned  foods  she  said:  'All 
our  canned  food  is  put  up  in  porcelain  glazed  cans,  which 
have  screw  caps  and  rubber  washers,  are  easily  opened, 
and  in  cold  storage  will  keep  for  years.* 


92  RECIPROCITY. 

She  opened  another  door  and  showed  me  her  cereal 
closet,  where  metal  barrels,  with  covers  of  the  same  ma- 
terial, were  ranged  in  order,  in  which  were  stored  wheat 
flour,  cornmeal,  rice,  pearled  barley,  buckwheat  flour  and 
oatmeal.  '  We  have  still  another  variety  of  food  stuff,' 
she  said.  '  It  is  made  from  the  wood  of  a  rapid-growing 
tree,  of  the  poplar  species,  I'm  told.  It  is  called  "  cellu- 
lose," and  can  be  made  into  puddings,  used  for  thicken- 
ing soups,  and  for  making  a  variety  of  dishes.  It  costs 
less  than  wheat  flour  and  is  said  to  be  very  nutritous,  but 
I  can't  say  I  like  it.  It  is  said  to  be  coming  into  general 
use.  In  certain  sections  of  the  southwestern  country 
large  tracts  of  poor  land  are  cultivated  to  the  growth  of 
the  trees  which  produce  it.  Our  bread  is  made  of  whole 
wheat  flour,  which  is  rich  in  phosphates.  People  who 
eat  it  through  life  and  who  use  their  teeth  generously 
retain  them  into  old  age.  We  have  several  bakeries  in 
town,  operated  for  the  commune,  in  which  whole  wheat 
flour  bread  only  is  made,  but  many  families  prefer  to 
make  their  own  bread,  as  we  do.  Starchy  white  flour  is 
not  used  in  bread-making.  The  other  cereals  are  used 
as  nearly  natural  as  practicable.  For  example,  rice  is 
simply  hulled,  the  gluten  and  phosphates  on  the  ouside 
of  the  grain  being  retained,  as  has  always  been  the  usage 
among  rice-eating  peoples.  Our  fresh  meats  are  kept  in 
the  cold  storage  closet.  Do  you  know,'  she  said,  with  a 
sigh,  'it  seems  cruel  and  even  inhuman  to  slaughter  living 
creatures  in  order  to  sate  our  appetites  with  their  flesh. 
In  doing  this  we  display  a  savagery  akin  to  that  of  fierce 
beasts  of  prey,  whom  we  instinctively  abhor.   Why  should 


RECIPROCITY.  93 

not  these  simple  creatures  that  we  kill  for  their  flesh  live 
to  enjoy  their  brief  existence  as  well  as  human  beings  ? 
But  I  suppose  we  are  not  yet  suliiciently  refined  in  our 
nature  to  be  freed  from  the  flesh-eating  desires  of  our 
carnivorous  ancestors,  who  always  lived  quite  largely  on 
their  less  cunning  and  more  peaceful  fellow  creatures  of 
the  animal  kingdom.  I  will  welcome  the  day,  should  it 
occur  in  my  lifetime,  when  all  animal  foods  which  in- 
volved the  taking  of  life  to  procure  will  be  banished  from 
our  dietary.  Of  course  butter,  milk  and  eggs  would  not 
be  included  in  the  prohibited  list.  These  things  do  not 
involve  the  taking  of  developed  life,  at  least,  and  are  as 
yet  essential  in  our  cuisine,  that  is,  speaking  from  the 
standpoint  of  a  cook.' 

While  I  fully  agreed  with  her  views  on  the  subject 
of  animal  slaughter  for  food,  I  could  not  help  reflecting 
that  vegetarianism  could  not  have  progressed  in  the  past 
ten  centuries  much  beyond  sentiment,  that  is,  it  was 
probably  just  about  where  I  had  left  it.  But  I  made  no 
remark  beyond  giving  a  smiling  assent  to  the  good  wo- 
man's words 

Mr.  Wellman,  the  husband,  who  had  followed  us  into 
the  kitchen  and  had  remained  silent  up  to  this  point, 
now  remarked : 

'Your  sentiments,  my  dear,  do  credit  to  your  heart. 
But  humanity  is  as  indifferent  to  the  suffering  of  animals 
slaughtered  for  food  as  carnivorous  animals  would  be. 
Is  it  not,  after  all,  a  law  of  organic  nature  that  destruc- 
tive processes  are  necessary  to  constructive  ones?  The 
life  cell  or  vital  unit  of  all  organisms  is  the  same  in  the 


94  EECIPROCITT. 

humblest  weed  or  blade  of  grass  as  it  is  in  the  highly 
developed  grain  or  fruit;  it  is  also  the  same  in  the  lowest 
animal  form  as  it  is  in  proud  man.  These  cells  are  build- 
ers as  well  as  storers  up  of  energy.  They  build  on  estab- 
lished lines  of  organism  —  a  snail  as  well  as  a  fleet-footed 
hound,  a  toad  or  a  man.  Give  them  the  pattern  to  work 
by  and  they  will  follow  it  faithfully.  They  are  sentient, 
if  not  intelligent,  as  we  understand  it ;  yet  they  build 
hooks  on  the  burdock  burrs  as  well  as  smooth  skin  on 
the  apple.  They  sacrifice  themselves  for  every  move- 
ment of  muscle  and  of  brain,  and  pass  out  as  waste,  inert 
matter,  having  faithfully  performed  their  part. 

*  Vegetable  organisms  feed  on  decayed  organic  matter 
in  the  soil  and  water  and  produce  substances  which  ani- 
mals feed  on.  Carnivorous  animals  feed  on  the  vegeta- 
rians, each  finally  surrendering  to  nature's  crucible,  the 
soil,  the  constituents  abstracted  directly  or  indirectly 
from  it.  So  that,  after  all,  there  appears  to  be  no  other 
method  of  physical  sustenance  or  renewal  of  body  waste 
than  that  involving  the  destruction  of  other  organisms, 
developed  or  in  embryo.  It  is,  in  fact  a  law  of  nature, 
in  which  sentiment  has  no  part.  Man  is  now  practically 
the  sole  survivor  of  the  flesh-eating  animals,  the  other 
land  carnivora  being  mostly  extinct.  Fish  will  doubtless 
always  live  on  fish  as  well  as  on  sea  vegetation.  Curi- 
ously enough,  man  shares  with  the  domestic  hog,  which 
he  devours,  the  distinction  of  being  omnivorous.  Being  so 
he  is  not  restricted  to  flesh  diet,  and,  in  a  humanitarian 
sense,  he  could  refrain  from  the  slaughter  of  animals  for 
food.     But  I  doubt  if  he  ever  will.' 


RECIPBOCITT.  95 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Woman's  Work  in  the  Commune  —  Training  Children 
IN  Schools  —  Marriage  —  Varled  Industries. 

We  now  returned  to  the  sitting  room,  where  Matron 
Wellman  and  her  husband,  the  patriarch,  had  already- 
arrived,  prepared  to  take  me  on  a  tour  of  observation. 
'  My  wife,'  said  the  latter,  '  will  be  your  guide  and  in- 
structor today.     I  will  act  as  charioteer.' 

We  were  soon  seated  in  the  carriage  on  the  way  to  a 
distant  part  of  the  town. 

'  I  am  going  to  show  you  today,  IVIr,  Wonder,'  said  the 
matron,  '  something  of  woman's  work  in  this  age ;  one  of 
the  important  duties,  at  least,  which  she  discharges  in  the 
social  life  of  the  commune.  The  bearing  of  children,  as 
you  know,  is  her  most  sacred  and  important  function. 
The  next  is  the  care  of  them  in  infancy  and  in  childhood. 
In  the  home,  at  the  mother's  knee,  the  child  receives  the 
first  lessons  in  its  life  education.  If  these  lessons  are  of 
the  right  nature,  well  and  good;  if  not,  there  must  be 
found  a  way  to  correct  or  neutralize  them,  for  on  the 
natm-e  of  these  earliest  impressions  depends,  in  no  small 
degree,  the  right  develoj^ment  of  character  in  the  later 
stages  of  the  child's  life.  If  there  be  implanted  in  his 
nature,  by  heredity,  certain  tendencies  to  goodness,  such 
as  candor,  amiability  and  evenness  of  temper,  he  is  easily 
influenced  in  the  right  direction,  if  he  is  brought  up  in  a 
way  favoring  the  development  of  such  inherited  traits ; 
but  if  his  environment  is  not  favorable  to  such  develop- 


96  RBCIPEOCITT. 

ment,  his  character  may  become  so  out  of  harmony  with 
what  it  shoukl  have  been  that  he  might  become  a  danger 
instead  of  an  ornament  to  society.  On  the  other  hand, 
if  a  child  should  inherit  vicious  propensities,  how  readily 
would  he  adapt  himself  to  evil  influences  if  not  exposed 
to  good  ones. 

'  Now  here  is  the  basis  of  our  work :  We  begin  with 
the  home,  and  make  ourselves  familiar  with  its  charac- 
teristics, as  well  as  those  of  the  parents.  We  have  vis- 
itors, whose  business  it  is  to  go  into  homes  in  a  friendly 
way,  learn  how  they  are  conducted,  how  the  family  lives, 
whether  in  unity  or  discord.  Of  course  most  of  our  mar- 
ried people  of  the  town  have  always  lived  here,  and  their 
moral  character  is  well  known,  but  under  new  relations 
new  characteristics  may  develop,  and  if  they  are  unfavor- 
able to  the  proper  rearing  of  children,  when  children 
have  come,  we  want  to  know  of  their  existence.  Our 
visitors  render  reports  of  their  observations  from  time  to 
time  to  a  central  committee  of  matrons  in  charge  of  the 
work.  These  reports  cover  the  domestic  history  for  the 
time  being  of  all  the  young  families  visited,  for  it  is  only 
families  with  young  children  who  are  called  on,  and  then 
only  during  the  extreme  youth  of  the  children.  The 
work  of  obtaining  a  record  of  such  families  in  the  way 
indicated  is  not  such  a  difficult  matter  as  you  may  think 
and  it  is  not  a  work  of  mere  espionage  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  that  word,  for  it  is  well  understood  and  readily 
acquiesced  in  by  those  who  are  subject  to  its  operation, 
and  is  approved  of  by  the  parents  of  all  young  married 
people,  because  it  makes  the  latter  more  careful  in  the 


RECIPROCITY.  97 

treatment  of  their  offspring.  Above  all,  the  young  people 
are  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  system  has  not  only 
an  important  influence  for  good  on  their  immediate  fam- 
ily but  ultimately  upon  society.  The  visitors  are  all 
mature  women  —  mothers,  of  well  known  capacity  and 
experience,  who  in  their  early  married  life  were  subjected 
to  the  same  experience  —  and  are  capable  of  giving,  and 
do  give,  when  needed,  motherly  advice  and  sympathetic 
suggestion,  things  which  are  of  inestimable  value  to 
those  in  need  of  such  friendly  offices. 

'  By  this  system  the  domestic  condition  of  eveiy  house- 
hold in  the  commune  is  on  record  up  to  date,  and  if  an 
individual  or  a  family  leaves  the  town  to  settle  elsewhere 
his  or  their  record  follows  if  it  does  not  go  with  them. 
If  persons  from  other  towns  settle  here,  and  have  not 
brought  their  record  with  them,  we  send  for  and  obtain 
it  and  continue  it  here.  So  you  see  we  have  these  things 
in  easy  grasp.  Knowing,  for  example,  therefore,  the 
character  of  the  parents  and  the  conduct  of  the  home,  we 
take  the  child  in  charge  in  our  schools,  from  the  kinder- 
garten up,  and  bring  such  care  and  right  influences  to 
bear  upon  it  as  are  most  likely  to  counteract  home  influ- 
ences if  they  are  not  just  what  they  should  be.  A  child 
who,  by  reason  of  heredity  and  unhappy  home  influence, 
is  in  danger  of  going  wrong  or  being  warped  in  its  nature, 
has  more  attention  paid  it,  more  loving  care  bestowed  on 
it  than  is  accorded  a  child  of  good  parents,  surrounded 
by  better  home  influences,  because  the  latter  does  not 
need  such  consideration,  being  happily  placed  in  a  better 
and  more  healthy  home  atmosphere. 


98  RECIPROCITY. 

'  We  know  that,  from  its  earliest  infancy,  the  child  is 
observing  and  imitative,  and  is  apt  to  imitate  the  speech 
and  manners  of  older  persons,  especially  of  those  of  its 
parents,  with  whom  it  is  in  most  intimate  contact ;  so  we 
teach  at  first,  in  the  kindergarten  age,  by  example  and 
orally,  quite  largely.  The  imagination  of  the  child  is 
appealed  to  on  the  blackboard,  where  simple  moral  stories 
are  pictured  by  sketches  illustrative  of  scenes  described, 
and  of  birds,  animals,  sylvan  or  pastoral  scenes  in  them. 
This  system  of  graphic  illustration  is  carried  into  all  lines 
of  school  work  in  the  elementary  grades  of  our  schools. 

'  When  the  lessons  of  the  kindergarten  are  succeeded 
by  the  more  complex  though  still  simple  ones  of  the  pri- 
mary grades,  and  the  boy  or  girl  has  developed  to  our 
satisfaction,  we  begin  to  hope  that  whatever  unfavorable 
influences  which  may  have  existed  in  the  home  life  or 
the  dispositionhave  been  successfully  counteracted.  But 
even  at  this  stage  we  do  not  relax  our  watchfulness  and 
our  efforts  to  make  the  good  work  bear  its  legitimate 
fruits  in  forming  the  character  of  the  coming  man  or 
woman. 

'  But  there  is  much  of  careful  and  anxious  work  even 
after  that.  It  has  become  a  settled  custom  with  us  that 
every  candidate  for  matrimony  must  undergo  examina- 
tion by  physicians  as  to  their  physical,  moral  and  mental 
qualifications  for  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the 
married  state — the  women  by  physicians  of  their  own 
sex  and  men  by  male  physicians.  The  age  for  marriage 
with  men  is  not  under  25  years;  with  women,  not  under 
23.     By  the  time  these  ages  have  been  reached,  in  most 


EECIPROCITY.  99 

cases  the  character  is  formed,  and  maturity  of  conduct 
may  be  reasonably  looked  for.  Knowing  the  antecedents 
of  the  young  people  proposing  to  marry,  if  the  physical 
and  moral  examination  has  been  satisfactory,  as  it  usually 
is,  and  they  are  of  congenial  natures  and  love  one  another, 
they  are  pronounced  eligible  and  congratulated  on  their 
life-venture.  The  marriage  form  is  simple.  The  con- 
tracting parties,  in  presence  of  two  or  more  witnesses, 
make  declaration  of  their  purpose  to  live  together  as  man 
and  wile,  faithfully  discharge  all  duties  pertaining  to  the 
new  partnership,  and  to  be  faithful  and  loving  to  one 
another  for  life.  This  declaration  is  also  made  in  writing, 
signed  by  the  contracting  parties,  two  witnesses,  and  filed 
in  the  bureau  of  vital  statistics  in  the  town  mansion.  I 
may  tell  you  that  such  marriages  usually  turn  out  to  be 
happy  ones. 

'If,  however,  the  parties  are  judged  to  be  incompatible 
in  character  or  disposition,  or  physically  unfitted  for  the 
union,  persuasion  and  the  good  offices  of  relatives  and 
friends  are  employed  to  prevent  its  consummation.  These 
interferences  are  usually  successful,  but  in  case  they  are 
not  and  the  parties  persist  in  their  intention,  as  they 
have  the  right  to,  their  offspring,  if  they  have  any,  is 
watched  with  interest  and  carefully  looked  after.' 

'  If  ill-mated  couples  do  not  live  in  harmony, what  then  ?' 
I  asked. 

'If  they  have  offspring  they  are  expected  to  live  to- 
gether even  if  they  do  not  agree.  If  a  man  should  leave 
his  wife  or  a  wife  her  husband,  and  there  are  children, 
the  deserter  must  contribute  to  their  support  while  they 


100  KECIPROCITY. 

are  young.  The  parents  cannot  go  elsewhere,  and  settle 
and  marry  again  because  of  their  record,  and  they  cannot 
settle  anywhere  until  their  record  is  known.  They  be- 
come social  outcasts.  If  they  have  no  offspring,  after 
two  years  of  wedded  unhappiness  they  may  be  divorced 
by  act  of  mutual  renunciation  of  the  marriage  tie,  before 
a  justice  and  two  witnesses,  the  same  to  be  recorded  in 
the  bureau  of  vital  statistics.  Then,  by  order  of  the  jus- 
tice, they  are  freed  from  their  obligation  and  can  marry 
again.  Happily  such  marital  troubles  are  of  very  rare 
occurrence,  and  especially  so  when  childi-en  have  come 
to  the  parties,  it  being  considered  a  disgrace  for  either 
parents  to  desert  their  offspring.  But  here  we  are  at  our 
destination.' 

We  had  come  to  a  substantial  but  not  imposing  group 
of  buildings.  The  main  or  central  structure  was  of  two 
stories,  with  a  dome  roof,  and  wings  on  either  side  of  one 
story.  The  whole  was  in  the  form  of  a  letter  H,  the 
main  building  75  by  150  feet,  connecting  with  the  two 
wings,  which  were  each  about  150  feet  long  by  30  feet 
in  width.  The  number  and  size  of  the  windows  in  the 
building  attracted  my  attention.  They  were  all  open,  so 
that  the  children  in  the  rooms  were  practically  studying 
in  the  open  air.  The  windows,  I  noted,  were  double,  the 
sashes  sliding  into  the  wall  on  opposite  sides,  and  could  be 
closed  when  necessary,  the  double  sashes  evidently  being 
for  winter  use. 

As  we  approached  the  first  room  in  one  of  the  wings, 
a  hum  like  that  from  a  hive  of  working  bees,  only  much 
louder,  saluted  our  ears.     This,  as  we  drew  nearer,  grew 


RECIPROCITY.  101 

in  volume  into  a  chorus  of  merry  voices,  mingled  with 
gleeful  childish  laughter,  as  we  entered  the  room,  and 
here  a  picture  of  delighted  innocence  was  seen  such  as  I 
never  expected  to  have  the  pleasure  of  witnessing.  The 
teachers  —  girls  in  their  'teens  mostly,  though  there  were 
older  ones  here  and  there  —  were  engaged  in  relating 
simple  stories  or  repeating  nursery  rhymes  to  groups  of 
children  gathered  round  them,  and  illustrating  the  most 
striking  parts  of  their  stories  or  rhymes  with  blackboard 
sketches.  Then  the  children  were  asked  to  repeat  what 
they  had  heard,  and  their  attempts  to  do  this  were  often 
so  ludicrous  as  to  provoke  laughter,  in  which  they  good- 
naturedly  joined.  We  stood  just  inside  the  door  for  a 
time  contemplating  and  enjoying  the  scene,  and  then  the 
matron  advanced  to  the  centre  of  the  room,  we  following, 
where  the  principal  in  charge  was  seated  at  a  desk.  She 
had  been  so  busy  and  interested  in  the  scenes  before  her 
that  she  had  not  noticed  our  presence  until  accosted  by 
the  matron. 

She  at  once  arose  and  respectfully  saluted  the  visitors. 
Mrs.  Wellman  presented  me  as  a  stranger  on  a  visit  to 
the  school.  After  expressing  her  pleasure  at  our  visit, 
she  made  a  sign  to  the  teachers,  who,  with  very  little 
effort  apparently,  secured  the  silent  attention  of  their 
classes.  When  silence  reigned,  the  jDrincipal  —  a  woman 
of  mature  years  and  of  a  motherly  demeanor  —  said  she 
hoped  we  would  be  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the 
school  and  the  behavior  of  the  children.  These  were  all 
neatly  dressed,  had  clean  hands  and  faces,  were  of  healthy 
and  even  robust  physique,  and  appeared  to  be  well  fed 


102  RECIPBOCITY. 

and  bright.  I  remarked  on  these  evidences  of  good  home 
care  to  Mrs  W.,  who  said: 

'  You  judge  correctly,  sir.  Among  the  principal  things 
which  we  insist  on  in  the  general  treatment  of  children 
are,  that  they  shall  have  a  reasonable  amount  of  good, 
nourishing  food,  and  a  healthy,  cleanly,  well  ventilated 
home  —  and,  above  all,  an  abundance  of  pure  air  in  the 
living  and  sleeping  rooms ;  for,  deprived  of  these  in  suf- 
ficient amount,  physical  and  mental  development  would 
be  badly  retarded.  Our  practice  is  based  on  this  theory : 
Build  up  the  body  with  a  sufficient  supply  of  wholesome 
food,  keep  the  child  well  supplied  with  pure  air,  and  it 
will  not  be  liable  to  infantile  ailments.  It  is  only  the 
poorly  nourished  child,  housed  in  ill-ventilated  rooms 
that  is  liable  to  be  frail  of  body  and  consequently  weak 
brain.  Physical  health  and  strength  are  necessary  to  the 
proper  development  of  mentality.  Knowing  this  we  are 
fully  alive  to  the  imjiortanca  of  proper  feeding,  ablution, 
and  aeration  of  the  body.  Physical  health  and  strength 
should  mean  mental  health  and  strength,  and  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  moral  nature  on  these  bases  is  not  a  difficult 
proposition  to  understand.  The  calls  of  our  visitors  to 
the  children's  homes  are,  among  other  things,  to  see  how 
they  are  fed;  that  their  sleeping  and  play  rooms  are 
properly  ventilated,  their  bedding  cleanly  and  aired  daily, 
and  that  they  are  bathed  or  washed  every  morning.' 

'  This  is  certainly  an  arduous  work  which  the  good 
women  have  undertaken,'  I  remarked. 

'  It  is  exacting,  but  not  more  arduous  than  the  perfor- 
mance of  any  other  duty.     The  chief  aim  —  and  duty,  I 


RECIPROCITY.  103 

may  add  —  of  humanity  is  to  bring  up  the  young  to  be 
worthy  successors  of  honest  and  virtuous  parents.  In 
this  matter,  our  committee  of  visitors  is  large,  and  con- 
sists, as  I  have  already  stated,  of  women  who  have 
brought  up  families,  and  their  work  is  one  of  love  and 
duty.  Their  visits  are  made  weekly,  not  on  set  days,  and 
such  visits  are  in  all  instances  of  a  friendly  and  neigh- 
borly character,  for  we  know  that  women  who  love  their 
children,  and  are  of  cleanly  and  correct  habits,  are  sure 
to  welcome  such  visits.  It  is  only  a  few  among  mothers 
— I  am  proud  to  say  they  are  very  few  in  number  —  who 
need  careful  looking  after,  and  even  they  become  thank- 
ful for  the  interest  taken  in  their  children.  They  always 
do  better  by  reason  of  our  influence.  Children  of  all 
grades,  who  live  at  a  distance  from  the  schools,  are  given 
warm  luncheons  at  noon.  Cold  food  for  children  is  not 
tolerated.' 

At  a  signal  from  the  principal  the  children  were  now 
formed  in  ranks,  two  deep,  and  marched  around  the 
school  room,  ofiicered  by  their  teachers.  They  were  all 
smiling  and  good  natured,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  this  form 
of  discipline  as  much  as  playing  with  blocks,  dolls  and 
other  toys.  The  universal  law  of  change  appealed  to 
them  as  it  did  to  all  others  in  the  lines  of  evolution. 

'  The  fact  is,'  said  the  principal,  '  children  crave  change 
even  in  amusement,  study  or  occupation  all  the  time. 
They  will  return  to  their  lessons  and  playthings  after 
this  simple  exercise  with  renewed  pleasure.  This  habit 
of  marching  in  ranks,  in  step,  is  taught  as  one  of  the 
primary  lessons  in  school  discipline.     In  a  short  time 


104  RECIPROCITY. 

they  will  be  let  out  to  play  in  the  school  yard,  the  teach- 
ers accompanying  them  and  sharing  in  their  gambols. 
This  not  only  serves  to  maintain  a  proper  restraint  upon 
the  children,  but  it  enables  the  teachers  to  prevent  dis- 
order and  the  commission  of  youthful  indiscretions.  The 
same  S3''stera  prevails  in  all  primary  grades  in  the  other 
schools  of  the  town.' 

Our  next  visit  was  to  one  of  the  primary  school  rooms. 
Here  the  sexes,  as  in  the  kindergarten,  were  mixed,  with 
children  from  five  to  eight  years ;  but  in  the  more  ad- 
vanced grades,  with  children  from  eiglit  to  twelve  years, 
the  sexes  were  separated.  In  the  middle  grades  of  this 
school,  manual  training  of  boys  was  an  important  feature, 
1  was  told,  it  being  preparatory  for  admission  to  the 
higher  or  advanced  trade  and  technical  schools  where 
the  mechanic  arts,  chemistry  and  engineering  wei-e  taught. 
The  teachers,  except  in  the  manual  training  classes  in 
this  school,  were  women.  The  principal  was  a  man, 
though  in  some  of  the  other  schools,  I  learned,  women 
occupied  this  position. 

The  pupils  in  the  different  rooms  visited,  whether 
studying  their  lessons,  reciting,  solving  blackboard  prob- 
lems, or  listening  to  the  instructions  of  the  teacher,  all 
appeared  to  be  intent  on  their  studies.  They  were  or- 
derly, respectful,  cheerful,  not  too  curious  regarding  the 
visitors,  and  very  attentive  and  mannerly.  It  was  a 
model  school  in  all  its  details,  and  I  was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  system  of  thorough  discipline  pervading  it,  and 
the  absence  of  anything  unpleasant  in  the  conduct  of  the 
pupils. 


RECIPROCITY.  105 

The  main  building  was  large,  and  contained  a  number 
of  class  rooms  for  the  more  advanced  pupils.  In  these 
rooms  were  taught  anatomy  and  physiology,  mathematics, 
theoretical  engineering,  the  liberal  arts  and  trades  in  ele- 
mentary forms.  The  purpose  of  these  advanced  schools 
was  to  provide  an  industrial  as  well  as  theoretical  train- 
ing to  the  pupils,  in  order  to  fit  them  for  study  and 
practice  in  the  highest  schools  of  the  town.  One  of  the 
departments  was  devoted  to  the  study  of  agriculture  and 
allied  branches,  such  as  botany,  horticulture  and  arbori- 
culture. These  latter  branches  were  taught  in  the  sum- 
mer season  by  practical  lessons  in  grounds  attached  to  the 
school,  where  fine  experimental  gardens  were  maintained 
under  good  cultivation.  Here  pupils  were  taught  the  art 
of  making  nature  beautiful  by  inducing  it  to  conform  to 
the  human  conception  of  what  is  most  attractive  in  flower 
and  foliage  ornamentation.  Lessons  in  arboriculture 
were  taught  by  demonstration  in  the  groves  of  forest 
trees  near  at  hand.  Gymnasiums  were  also  attached  to 
the  school,  as  well  as  extensive  playgrounds.  For  girls, 
there  were  departments  in  which  needlework,  cooking, 
bookkeeping,  typewriting  and  other  occupations  suitable 
for  the  sex  were  taught.  The  class  in  cooking,  I  learned, 
received  practical  instruction  in  preparing  the  luncheon 
meals  for  the  pupilg. 

Here  I  began  to  realize  that  the  educational  system 
of  the  town,  of  which  I  have  given  but  an  imperfect  out- 
line, was  most  comprehensive  in  scope,  and  while  mould- 
ing the  young  in  way  to  correct  wayward  tendencies  and 
make  good  men   and  women  of  them,  was  thoroughly 


106  RECIPROCITY. 

practical  and  industrial  in  results.  I  expressed  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wellman  the  satisfaction  which  I  felt  at  the 
general  system  of  training  the  young,  and  surprise  at  the 
great  expenditure  of  time  and  money  in  the  work  of  edu- 
cation. 

'After  all,' said  the  patriarch,  'it  is  simply  only  the 
reduction  to  a  general  system,  fostered  and  supported  by 
the  commune,  of  a  duty  which  we  owe  to  humanity ;  a 
work  that,  in  the  early  days  of  the  Republic,  was  left  to 
individual  discretion  or,  in  the  line  of  progress,  to  an  in- 
complete system  of  public  instruction.  Under  the  older 
methods  —  miscalled  education,  for  it  was  only  partial 
instruction  at  the  best  —  the  individual  was  charged  with 
the  duty  of  rearing  and  educating  his  children.  In  the 
great  majority  ot  cases  he  was  unable  to  properly  feed, 
clothe,  give  them  a  right  measure  of  education,  and  sur- 
round them  with  healthful  influences  ;  for  it  was  the  rule 
that  the  poor  had  the  largest  families,  while  the  rich  had 
but  few  children.  Of  course  the  early  public  school  sys- 
tem afforded  a  partial  education,  or  rather  instruction, 
for  the  children  of  the  poor,  and  aided  their  growth  in 
intelligence  and  consequent  general  improvement  of  their 
condition,  but  the  rich  were  unduly  favored.  Thus  while 
the  smaller  class  grew  richer  and  their  children  more 
favored,  the  children  of  the  poor  multiplied,  with  but 
few  opportunities  to  satisfy  their  ambition,  and  by  com- 
petition as  wage  workers  in  the  fields  of  industry  their 
prospects  were  always  limited  and  discouraging.  The 
poor  man  and  woman,  after  a  life  of  toil  and  sacrifice  — 
their  children  scattered  broadcast  throughout  the  world 


BKCIPROCITY.  107 

and  living  the  same  hopeless  lives  they  had  lived — were 
rarely  enabled  to  save  enough  to  support  them  in  their 
old  age,  and  were  too  frequently  sent  to  the  poor-house 
to  live  out  a  joyless  existence. 

'  When  we  think  of  it  we  cannot  help  reflecting  how 
aimlessly,  how  blindly  men  lived  in  those  days,  when 
selfishness  ruled  and  the  many  toiled  for  the  undue  gain 
of  the  few.  How  short-sighted,  how  unfraternal  such  a 
condition  of  society !  It  has  taken  many,  many  years  to 
bring  about  a  sensible,  simple  reform,  where  it  is  found 
that  not  only  the  truest  economy  but  the  most  satisfac- 
tory conditions  of  life  are  promoted  and  secured  to  all 
by  a  system  of  co-operative  effort  and  mutual  help,  such 
as  you  see  in  operation  in  our  little  commune.  Here  you 
see  evidences  of  thrift,  comfort,  contentment  and  progress 
on  every  hand,  where  the  highest  and  best  virtues  of  hu- 
manity are  exemplified  in  the  love  and  care  of  our  fellow 
beings  —  that  affection  which  binds  us  together  as  mem- 
bers of  one  family. 

'  Under  our  system  —  which  has  been  one  of  very  slow 
growth,  I  will  concede  —  no  one  need  suffer  for  lack  of 
the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life,  for  all  who  work  are 
given  employment  at  a  living  rate  of  compensation,  and 
if  any  are  unable  to  work  or  have  passed  the  active  stage 
of  life,  they  are  supported  by  those  of  the  commune  who 
have  the  health  and  strength  to  labor  and  produce.  There 
is  no  mere  alms-giving  charity  in  this,  for  they  who  have 
the  ability  to  produce  today  owe  it  to  those  who  in  their 
time  of  strength  had  been  the  producers  and  had  sup- 
ported and  educated  them. 


108  EECIPEOCITT. 

'  Thus  wc  have  no  poor  or  charity  houses  in  the  origi- 
nal sense  of  the  term,  for  the  aged  and  infirm  who  are 
pensioned  by  the  commune  are  in  no  sense  regarded  as 
dependants.  They  still  have  all  the  political  and  man- 
hood rights  of  citizens.  It  is  only  those  who  through  the 
misfortune  of  crime  or  insanity — for  at  best  as  well  as 
at  worst  crime  or  insanity  is  a  misfortune,  which  is  often 
the  curse  of  inheritance  — -  that  we  deprive  of  these  rights 
and  their  liberty.  You  will  understand  that  our  system 
is  one  wherein  the  individual  is  trained  to  be  not  only 
intelligent  and  moral,  but  at  the  same  time  industrious 
and  self -dependant.  Much  of  the  complexity  of  the  old 
civilization  has  been  untangled,  and  we  are  now  enjoying 
the  rewards  of  a  sensible  and  just  system  of  co-operation 
which,  as  you  can  judge,  binds  the  whole  human  brother- 
hood together  as  one  family.' 

*Have  you  no  idlers,  loafers,  tramps  in  the  commune?* 
I  asked. 

'  We  have  not.  They  passed  away  with  the  old  indus- 
trial system,  of  which  they  were  the  unfortunate  fruits,' 
he  replied. 

'  Pardon  me,'  I  said,  'for  expressing  an  opinion  regard- 
ing co-ojDeration.  I  have  always  entertained  the  view 
that  so-called  co-operation,  in  which  the  individuality  or 
the  personality  of  the  man  was  merged  into  the  mass, 
was  inimical  to  progress.  In  other  words,  it  has  seemed 
to  me  that  one  of  the  mainsprings  of  progress  is  individ- 
ual enterprise ;  that  the  genius  of  men  of  commanding 
ability  is  essential  to  industrial  and  to  national  develop- 
ment ;  that,  in  short,  however  desirable  it  may  be  under 


KECIPROCITY.  109 

right  direction,  co-operation  means  in  effect  the  subver- 
sion of  individuality,  and,  to  put  it  in  the  form  of  an  old 
proverb,  what  is  everybody's  concern  is  apt  to  be  no 
one's  business.' 

'  That  might  have  been  true  to  some  extent,'  he  said, 
'  under  such  conditions  as  prevailed  in  the  early  days  of 
our  Republic,  but  today  it  is  not.  In  the  evolution  of 
human  society,  progress  is  made  by  the  most  available 
methods  usually,  though  not  always,  for  men  in  the  ag- 
gregate were  never  as  sensible  as  the  few  progressive 
ones  who  usually  blazed  the  way  to  a  better  condition  of 
things.  Under  such  a  state  of  affairs,  individuality  of 
the  aggressive  and  commanding  type  was  perhaps  called 
for,  though  impelled  by  supreme  selfishness  —  the  lust  of 
conquest  or  the  pride  of  glory.  In  the  days  of  notable 
achievements  of  the  past,  when  kings  and  great  captains 
led  vast  hordes  to  conquest,  those  armies  were  simply  co 
operating  masses  of  men  who  strove  for  a  single  purpose 
—  the  defeat  of  opposing  bodies  and  the  conquest  of  the 
peoples  whose  countries  they  invaded.  Without  such 
co-operation  of  the  fighting  units  and  the  co-operating 
support  of  the  people  they  represented  no  victories  could 
have  been  achieved. 

'  In  all  industrial  triumphs  the  same  principle  prevailed. 
Men  were  organized  under  a  recognized  head  or  manage- 
ment to  co-operate  in  peaceful  pursuits,  and,  when  rightly 
directed,  were  usually  successful  in  obtaining  desired 
results.  Co-operation  in  all  ages  was,  as  it  is  today,  the 
basis  of  success  in  every  department  of  human  effort. 
But  let  me  say  that  co-operation  at  this  stage  of  human 


110  BHCIPROCITY. 

development  is  not  dependant  upon  any  leading  or  domi- 
nant individuality.  We  have  arrived  at  a  better  solution 
of  the  social  and  industrial,  the  life-problem,  so  to  speak, 
where  co-operating  individuality  gives  to  mankind,  the 
world  over,  the  best  industrial  results  and  the  greatest 
social  enjoyment.  The  masses  are  their  own  leaders  in 
our  co-operative  commonwealths  of  today.  They  are  in- 
telligent enough  to  understand  that  agreement  to  and 
united  effort  in  carrying  out  the  details  of  such  a  system 
is  the  best  way  to  insure  its  success,  hence  there  is  no 
clashing  of  interest  or  opinion  ;  each  one  is  satisfied  to  do 
his  allotted  or  chosen  part  and  thus  harmony  prevails  in 
all  lines  of  effort.' 

'What  I  have  already  witnessed  and  heard  in  your 
town,'  I  said,  '  strongly  confirm  your  words,  but  still  the 
whole  matter  is  so  new  and  strange  to  me  that  I  can 
hardly  realize  it.' 

'  I  do  not  doubt  it,'  he  said,  '  and  perhaps  it  is  too 
much  to  expect  from  you  a  full  comprehension  of  the 
exact  condition  of  affairs  as  they  are  with  us  today.  But 
I  will  more  fully  enlarge  on  the  subject,  which  I  may  say 
is  most  vital  to  our  modern  civilization :  There  is,  then, 
to  begin  with,  more  true  individuality  among  men  now 
than  there  was  in  the  days  of  what  may  be  termed  the 
"  one-man  power,"  but  it  is  of  a  different  character.  In 
those  days  individuality  was  actuated  by  purely  selfish 
motives,  and  in  the  scramble  for  wealth  and  fame  the 
individual  who  was  successful  simply  triumphed  over  his 
competitors  by  superior  ability,  cunning,  or  tenacity  of 
purpose.     Now  a  nobler  ambition  actuates  men.     They 


RECIPROCITY."  Ill 

regard  mere  triumph  over  others  as  worthless  compared 
with  that  which  contributes  most  to  the  benefit  of  hu- 
manity; for  what,  after  all,  is  the  vain  triumph  over  an 
enemy  or  a  competitor?  It  should  beget  in  the  generous 
mind  only  pity  for  the  defeated  rival,  while  in  the  mind 
of  the  ungenerous  it  would  no  doubt  foster  a  brutal  de- 
sire for  further  conquest.' 

'  True  individuality,  as  we  have  proven,  is  best  exem- 
plified in  a  condition  of  society  where  every  man  and 
woman  will  willingly  and  gladly  bear  their  share  of 
the  general  burden  of  life,  and  will  even  strive  to  do  more 
than  that,  if  need  be.  We  have  not,  however,  arrived 
at  a  condition  of  social  evolution  where  complete  indi- 
viduality as  we  understand  it  can  be  claimed,  but  we  are 
coming  to  it  surely,  if  slowly.  When  we  do,  every  man 
and  woman  will  be  so  thoroughly  individualistic  that  they 
will  be  a  law  unto  themselves.  Then  all  law-making  and 
law-enforcing  will  become  unnecessary,  and  if  any  rem- 
nant of  rivalry  survive,  it  will  be  manifested  in  endeavor 
to  best  promote  the  common  welfare.' 

'But  will  not  such  a  condition  of  society  as  you  have 
indicated  tend  to  promote  mediocrity  instead  of  enter- 
prise and  excellence  in  the  individual?'  I  queried,  not 
fully  satisfied  with  the  new  idea. 

'  On  the  contrary,'  he  replied,  '  it  would  promote  gen- 
eral excellence,  for  each  individual  will  feel  that  he  is  in 
a  life  endeavor  where  the  true  merits  of  acquirement  and 
performance  will  be  gauged  by  comparison  with  the  works 
of  others.  This  spirit  of  emulation  can  be  depended  upon 
to  keep  humanity  above  the  dead  level  of  mediocrity  and 


112  RECIPROCITY. 

in  the  line  of  true  progress.  It  ^^-ill  no  doubt  be  true  in 
the  future,  as  it  is  today,  that  all  men  do  not  inherit 
equal  capacities  in  all  the  concerns  of  life  work,  or  that 
all  men  are  not  equally  endowed  with  nature's  aptitudes. 
Men  are,  however,  variously  endowed  —  some  with  me- 
chanical ability,  some  with  the  faculty  of  invention,  some 
with  the  capacity  for  thought  and  abstract  speculation, 
some  with  a  genius  for  investigation  and  philosophy, 
others  for  music,  agriculture,  business,  and  so  forth.  In 
the  various  pursuits  the  aim  of  all  is  to  excel,  not  in 
competition  with  others,  but  as  a  matter  of  individual 
ambition.  Surely  such  emulation  must  be  productive  of 
an^^thing  but  general  mediocrity ;  [as  a  matter  of  fact,  it 
has  resulted  in  a  general  elevation  of  the  standard  of  hu- 
manity not  only  industrially,  but  intellectually,  morally 
and  socially. 

'  It  may  seem  strange  to  you  that  men  can  co-operate 
in  all  concerns  of  life  and  yet  retain  their  individuality, 
but,  to  those  who  are  born  and  brought  up  to  it,  it  fits  as 
easily  and  naturally  as  a  habit.  Men  as  well  as  children 
are  naturally  imitative,  and  readily  acquire  the  habits  as 
well  as  the  customs  of  the  society  in  which  their  lot  is 
cast.  They  also  take  the  more  readily  to  such  usages 
because  they  are  disposed  to  them  by  an  inherited  incli- 
nation, which  is  fostered  and  confirmed  by  training  and 
education.     Thus  society  moulds  the  individual  today.' 

On  our  return  from  the  school,  I  noticed  and  remarked 
on  the  fine  groves  of  forest  trees  ©n  the  hill  sides,  which 
seemed  to  have  been  cultivated  as  carefully  and  with  as 
much  skill  as  fruit  orchards. 


EECIPROCITT.  113 

*  These,'  said  the  patriarch,  'represent  an  important 
branch  of  our  industries.  We  have  in  the  town  extensive 
orchards  of  sugar  maples  which  produce  many  tons  of 
sweets  every  year,  our  state  alone  producing  thousands 
of  tons  annually.  You  can  notice  the  absence  of  useless 
shrubbery  or  underbrush  among  the  trees.  These  are 
systematically  weeded  out,  leaving  the  full  strength  of 
the  humus-nourished  soil  for  the  useful  trees  to  feed  on. 
We  also  have  timber  groves  in  which  the  trees  are  quite 
as  carefully  selected  and  cultivated  as  in  these.  We 
know  the  value  of  forests  in  determining  rainfall  and 
preserving  fertility  in  the  soil.  There  is  not  an  acre  of 
ground  in  the  town  which  is  not  cultivated  or  otherwise 
occupied  for  some  useful  purpose.  We  have  also,  where 
practicable,  many  trout  ponds  in  which  these  fine  fish  are 
bred.  Our  water  courses  are  utilized  for  power  and  irri- 
gation purposes,  and  our  storage  reservoirs  for  household 
uses.  The  reservoirs  are  ample  to  supply  our  wants  for 
hundreds  of  years  to  come.' 

Arrived  at  the  Wellman  home,  we  found  an  appetizing 
meal  awaiting  us  —  this  time  the  animal  food  portion  of 
it  consisting  of  baked  mackerel,  as  fine  and  fresh  as  could 
usually  be  found  in  the  Boston  market  —  a  fact  which  I 
stated,  and  it  was  explained  that  the  fish  had  left  Boston 
only  about  three  hours  before,  and  being  transported  in 
a  refrigerator  car  was  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  fresh 
and  as  good  as  if  only  just  landed  from  the  fishing 
grounds. 

After  luncheon  the  usual  siesta  was  indulged  in  by  the 
family,  and,  as  I  learned,  it  was  a  custom  observed  in 


114  BECIPROCITY. 

every  household.  The  public  conveyances  had  ceased 
running,  for  no  one  was  stirring  abroad,  except  that  a 
stray  pedestrian  or  a  small  private  vehicle  went  by  a 
little  late,  but  even  these  at  length  ceased,  and  I  remarked 
how  quickly  the  bustle  and  activity  of  the  town  had 
changed  to  restful  quietude. 

'  This  suspension  of  activity,'  said  the  patriarch,  '  is  a 
well-considered  form  of  rest.  It  conduces  not  only  to 
health  and  longevity,  but  it  shows  that  by  our  system  of 
co-operative  industry  we  can  afford  to  take  our  ease  after 
a  period  of  work,  and  are  not  subject  to  the  anxious, 
strenuous  life  which  prevailed  in  the  days  when  strictly 
competitive  effort  and  personal  ambition  impelled  men 
to  sacrifice  health,  comfort  and  enjoyment  for  mere  sus- 
tenance on  the  one  hand  or  for  wealth  on  the  other.  In 
the  days  when  labor  was  so  competitive  and  comparative- 
ly unorganized  that  capitalists  could  and  did  control  it 
for  their  own  aggrandisement,  and  amassed  enormous 
wealth  —  the  major  part  of  which  should  have  been  dis- 
tributed among  those  whose  labor  created  it  —  the  men 
who  toiled,  as  well  as  those  who  employed  them,  were 
continually  on  the  rack  —  the  many  to  secure  a  bare  sus- 
tenance, and  the  few  to  gratify  an  insatiate  desire  for 
still  greater  riches.' 

'  You  state  the  case  to  me  in  a  new  light,'  I  said. 

'  I  speak  only  the  truth  of  history,'  he  remarked,  and 
continued :  '  This  condition  of  things  at  length  aroused 
the  industrial  masses  to  form  trades'  unions  —  co-opera- 
tive organizations  —  to  wring  a  measure  of  justice  from 
the  employing  capitalists.     But  this  was  found  to  be  only 


EECIPROCITT.  115 

a  partial  remedy  while  the  laws  and  lawmakers  were  con- 
trolled by  the  monopolist  class,  until  the  workers  organ- 
ized politically  and  elected  men  to  frame  and  execute 
laws  which  gave  to  them  an  equitable  proportion  of  the 
products  of  their  labor.  When  this  was  accomplished 
the  opportunities  for  accumulating  huge  or  even  large 
fortunes  ceased,  and,  the  opportunity  being  taken  away, 
even  the  most  avaricious  forgot  their  sordid  ambitions, 
and  society  gradually  settled  down  to  more  just  and 
equitable  methods  of  industry  and  compensation  of  labor, 
which  culminated  finally  in  the  equitable  system  of  co- 
operation. 

'  It  took  many,  many  years  of  strife  and  turmoil  to 
bring  about  the  present  condition  of  affairs;  but  it  came, 
in  the  natural  course  of  social  evolution,  and  will  continue 
to  prevail  with  whatever  improvements  experience  and  a 
desire  for  further  betterment  may  suggest;  and  we  are 
now  enjoying  some  of  the  fruits  of  the  new  dispensation. 
One  of  these  you  have  remarked  on.  We  work  faithfully 
when  we  do  work,  and  when  the  time  for  relaxation  and 
rest  comes  we  take  our  ease,  undisturbed  by  any  fear  or 
apprehension  that  others  are  taking  advantage  of  our 
inaction  to  get  ahead  of  us  in  worldly  gain.  AVith  this 
feeling  of  security,  our  ease  of  mind  and  absence  of  worry 
are  promotive  of  satisfactory  and  healthful  rest.  So  we 
work  in  season,  rest  in  season,  and  court  enjoyment  in 
season.' 

<But,'  I  asked,  'do  not  these  easy  conditions  of  life 
promote  a  habit  of  idleness  ?  Do  they  not  stifle  ambition 
in  the  averajre  man?' 


116  EECIPKOCITT. 

'  They  do  not.  Men,  trained  as  they  are  today,  are 
moved  according  to  an  intelligent  estimate  of  their  posi- 
tion in  society  and  the  duty  they  owe  it.  If  men  are 
trained  to  consider  it  nobler  to  do  their  duty  toward  their 
fellow  men  than  to  evade  doing  it,  they  will  be  scrupu- 
lous to  perform  it  willingly  and  faithfully.  There  is  a 
triumph  of  achievement  in  the  performance  of  every  kind 
of  work  that  will  benefit  the  commune,  either  materially 
or  in  the  line  of  intelligence,  that  appeals  to  the  pride 
and  honor  of  the  individual,  and  impels  him  to  faithful 
action.  Besides,  you  will  remember,  every  man  who 
works  is  practically  working  for  himself,  and  has  that  ad- 
ditional incentive  to  diligence  and  faithfulness  in  pursuit 
of  his  occupation.  It  is  better  to  promote  the  industrial 
habit  under  right  conditions  than  to  depend  upon  the  co- 
ercion of  necessity  to  make  men  do  their  duty  to  society 
and  to  themselves.  This  is  what  we  have  proven  in  our 
practical  life,  and  which,  I  may  say,  has  been  productive 
of  as  much  enjoyment  as  moderate  activity,  practical 
competence,  the  regard  of  our  fellow-workers  and  the 
the  approval  of  our  own  conscience,  can  reasonably  be 
expected  to  produce.' 

After  our  rest,  and  when  the  town  had  resumed  its  ac- 
tivity, the  patriarch  took  me  to  visit  some  of  the  manu- 
facturing establishments  of  the  town.  Our  first  visit  was 
to  one  where  aluminum  and  its  alloys  with  copper  and 
other  metals  were  spun  on  lathes  or  stamped  by  compres- 
sion into  all  manner  of  vessels  and  things  used  in  the 
household  or  elsewhere,  such  as  table  ware,  wash  bowls, 
pitchers,  plaques,  pails,  foot  bath  tubs,  preserve  cans,  etc. 


RECIPROCITY.  117 

After  being  moulded  into  desired  forms  the  articles  were 
covered  with  a  coating  of  enamel,  then,  when  it  was  de- 
sired, decorated  in  an  artistic  manner,  and  finally  run 
through  a  kiln  of  high  temperature,  where  the  enamel 
was  set  and  glazed.  In  this  baking  process,  it  was  said, 
the  enamel  combined  with  the  metal,  producing  unbreak- 
able articles.  This  ware,  I  was  told,  had  replaced  crock- 
ery and  china  ware  altogether.  Here  enameled  tubing 
of  all  sizes  was  also  made.  This  tubing  found  a  wide  use 
for  water  pipes,  pneumatic  service  and  other  purposes. 
The  output  of  this  establishment,  which  employed  a  large 
number  of  men  and  women  in  its  various  departments 
(women  being  chiefly  employed  in  the  work  of  decora- 
tion) found  a  market  throughout  the  country,  though 
there  were  several  factories  of  the  same  character  in  other 
places.  The  decorations  of  table  ware  were  mostly  of 
rural  scenes  and  landscape  views  and  I  noted  the  fidelity 
to  nature,  coloring  and  detail  in  them.  One  large  plaque 
attracted  my  attention.  It  contained  a  view  of  the  town 
mansion  and  surrounding  scenery  and  was  a  fine  work  of 
art.  I  inquired  who  the  artist  was,  and  was  told  that  it 
was  the  sun.  In  other  words,  that  all  the  decorations  on 
ware  were  produced  by  photography,  in  which  natural 
colors  were  reproduced  as  faithfully  as  the  forms  and 
details  of  the  subjects. 

*  Photography,'  said  the  patriarch,  <has  been  brought 
to  such  perfection  that  it  has  almost  altogether  supersed- 
ed the  work  of  the  artist  in  reproducing  natural  scenery 
and  portraiture.  It  is  a  great  advance  on  portrait  paint- 
ing for  its  exactness  and  natural  coloring.' 


118  EECIPEOCITT. 

Our  next  visit  was  to  a  furniture  factory,  and  here  I 
had  a  still  greater  surprise.  I  expected  to  find  great 
piles  of  lumber,  and  saws,  lathes,  moulders  and  planers 
at  work  moulding  it  into  various  shapes ;  but  no  lumber 
was  anywhere  in  sight.  Instead,  I  saw,  on  the  basement 
floor  of  the  large  building,  a  series  of  vats,  as  in  a  tan- 
nery, which  contained  masses  of  pulpy  material  that 
were  being  stirred  by  mechanical  agitators. 

'  Here,'  said  the  patriarch,  '  you  will  witness  processes 
which  exemplify  the  high  water  mark  of  modern  indus- 
trial efficiency  and  economy.  What  formerly  were  waste 
products  or  materials  that  were  burnt  or  otherwise  des- 
troyed are  here  utilized  to  make  not  only  articles  of 
furniture  and  other  house  equipment,  but  bodies  of  car- 
riages, trunks,  and  many  other  things  which  were  made 
of  wood  formerly.  All  waste  paper  and  other  fibrous 
material  for  which  there  is  little  or  no  use  —  straw,  the 
stalks  of  flax  not  used  to  make  thread  and  cloth,  stalks  of 
the  cotton  plant,  coarse  grasses,  waste  excelsior  and  even 
sawdust — are  here  reduced  to  a  pulp  and  chemically 
treated.  This  mixture  is  then  pressed  into  moulds  of  all 
the  forms  and  shapes  desired.  They  are  the  component 
parts  of  various  articles  of  furniture,  etc.,  and  are  made 
to  fit  together  with  exactness  like  the  several  parts  of  a 
machine.  For  example,  the  different  sections  of  a  chair 
are  moulded  into  the  required  shape  and  size,  and  then 
put  together  in  a  way  which,  when  finished,  makes  the 
article  practically  one  piece,  a  cement  being  used  which 
consolidates  the  parts.  These  chairs  are  much  stronger 
than  wooden  ones  and  will  last  a  lifetime.     The  same  is 


EECIPROCITY.  119 

true  of  the  other  articles  made  of  this  material.  Other 
articles,  such  as  tables,  bureaus,  etc.,  are  moulded  in  sec- 
tions and  put  together  with  cement.  In  addition  to  the 
strength  of  the  material,  it  is  almost  incombustible.  You 
may  think,  perhaps,  that  this  indestructibility  of  character 
would  operate  against  the  permanency  of  the  industry, 
but  the  population  of  the  country  and  the  world  is  in- 
creasing all  the  time,  and  new  wants  are  constantly  de- 
veloping in  this  as  in  other  matters  of  domestic  taste  and 
convenience.  The  foreign  demand  for  this  class  of  goods 
is  growing  rapidly.  We  ship  the  parts  to  save  freight 
cost.     They  are  assembled  at  places  of  destination.' 

We  visited  other  departments  of  the  factory,  where 
the  various  parts  moulded  were  put  together,  and  noted 
the  work  of  assembling,  polishing,  decorating  and 
boxing  of  parts  for  shipment,  in  boxes  made  of  the  same 
material.  Another  department  turned  out  barrels,  boxes, 
trunks,  suit  cases,  and  many  other  articles  of  use  and  con- 
venience. 

At  another  factory  a  short  distance  away  we  found 
another  flourishing  industry  of  the  town.  In  it,  what  I 
would  call  electrical  fabrics  were  manufactured  on  a  large 
scale  —  such  as  I  had  seen  made  in  the  electrical  labora- 
tory at  the  town  mansion.  In  addition  to  carpets,  rugs, 
etc.,  some  of  the  departments  of  this  mill  were  devoted 
to  the  manufacture  of  different  electrical  fabrics  of  finer 
texture,  among  others  for  garments  to  be  worn  on  the 
body,  legs  and  feet.  I  learned  that  garments  made  of 
these  fabrics  were  prescribed  by  physicians  for  persons 
of  impaired  vitality  and  aged  people  generally.  Attached 


120  RECIPROCITY. 

to  the  mill  was  another  and  larger  one,  where  all  kinds 
of  electrical  machinery  and  appliances,  ranging  from  the 
largest  generators  and  motors  to  the  most  delicate  elec- 
trical instruments,  were  made.  We  did  not  enter  it,  for 
the  same  reason  that  we  did  not  go  into  the  carpet  mill, 
having  seen  the  same  kind  of  work  at  the  electrical 
laboratory  in  the  town  mansion. 

We  next  visited  a  factory  where  another  sm-prise  was 
in  store  for  me.  The  machinery  was  smaller  and  more 
compact  than  that  of  the  woolen  mills  which  I  had  been 
familiar  with,  yet  it  was  evidently  a  woolen  factory,  as 
the  staple  was  being  converted  into  thread  in  some  of 
the  machines  in  operation. 

'  This,'  explained  the  patriarch,  '  is  our  clothing  factory, 
where  men's,  women's  and  children's  garments  are  made 
directly  from  the  staple,  which  has  been  dyed,  spun  and 
prepared  for  the  process  of  weaving  into  shape.  The 
methods  employed  may  appear  complex,  but  they  are 
quite  effective.  For  example,  if  you  desired  a  suit  made 
to  measure,  an  exact  outline  of  your  body  and  limbs  is 
taken  and  transferred  to  shapers  in  the  looms,  around  or 
on  which  the  sections  of  the  garments  are  woven.  The 
coat  body,  with  arm  holes,  is  woven  in  one  piece,  the 
opening  in  front  being  connected  by  single  threads,  to  be 
cut  in  the  finishing  process  and  the  binding  attached  by 
a  separate  machine.  The  collar  is  made  in  another  loom. 
The  sleeves  are  woven  to  size  and  attached  to  the  body 
by  other  machines.  Then  the  lining  of  the  garment,  in- 
cluding pockets,  is  woven  and  attached.  In  the  improved 
process,  now  being  worked  out  by  our  inventor,  the  lining 


EECIPKOCITY.  121 

will  be  woven  with  the  garment,  which  will  be  a  great 
saving  in  time  and  cost  of  manufacture.  Trousers  and 
vests  are  made  in  the  same  general  way  by  other  looms 
and  processes.  The  work  of  producing  a  suit  is  quickly 
done.  If  they  should  now  take  your  measure  for  a  suit 
of  clothes,  you  would  have  them  delivered  in  three  hours 
or  less,  as  the  different  processes  are  carried  on  simulta- 
neously, the  parts  quickly  assembled,  and  the  suit  finished 
before  you  realized  it.' 

I  noted  that  the  looms  were  operated  somewhat  like 
knitting  machines,  but  was  assured  that  the  fabric  would 
not  ravel  if  torn  or  cut,  as  knit  work  is  liable  to.  Ready- 
made  clothing,  however,  was  the  main  product  of  the 
mill.  Garments  of  all  sizes  were  made.  Women's  skirts, 
waists,  coats  and  other  articles  of  clothing  were  also  made 
in  this  factory,  of  fine  wools  to  finest  silk,  satin  and  velvet- 
A  large  number  of  both  sexes  found  employment  the 
year  round  in  this  establishment.  The  patriarch  told  me, 
with  pride,  that  this  whole  system  of  clothing  manufac- 
ture, including  the  machines  employed,  was  the  invention 
of  a  young  man,  a  native  of  the  town ;  and  so  popular 
had  this  make  of  wearing  apparel  become  that  factories 
for  its  production  were  springing  up  all  over  the  country. 

'  I  suppose,'  I  remarked,  '  the  inventor  has  realized  or 
will  realize  in  time  a  handsome  competence  from  this 
great  invention.' 

'No,'  was  the  reply.  'We  have  no  patent  or  other 
monopolies  in  this  age.  The  granting  of  a  patent  now  is 
only  an  honorary  affair  —  a  modern  patent  of  nobility  or 
achievement,  as  it  were  —  which  simply  recognizes  the 


1 2'2  RECIPROCITY. 

merit  of  the  inventor  and  marks  him  as  a  special  bene- 
factor of  his  race.  The  inventor  is  now  only  simply  the 
superintendent  of  this  original  mill  which  operates  his 
inventions.    His  fame,  however,  is  becoming  world-wide.' 

'We  will  now,'  continued  the  patriarch,  'visit  one  of 
our  shoe  factories,'  and  we  were  soon  at  the  place. 

It  was  like  the  other  factories  in  outward  appearance  ; 
walls  and  roof  of  concrete,  with  numerous  windows  on 
each  floor  (usually  only  three  floors),  but  I  missed  the 
tall  chimneys  of  the  factories  1  had  known,  mentioning 
which  to  my  guide,  he  said : 

'  We  have  no  use  for  chimneys,  as  coal  is  not  now 
available,  and  we  do  not  burn  wood  for  power  purposes. 
Our  extravagant  ancestors  made  such  inroads  on  the  coal 
deposits  of  the  earth  that  what  is  left  in  remote  places  is 
practically  inaccessible  to  us,  and  even  in  those  places 
the  supply  is  nearing  exhaustion.  But  we  still  have  the 
winds,  the  tides,  the  waters  of  our  streams  and  rivers;  we 
produce  alcohol  (another  form,  like  electricity,  of  trans- 
muted sun  energy)  in  vast  quantities,  and  from  these 
sources  we  derive  sufficient  power  to  use  directly  or  to 
produce  all  the  electric  current  that  we  need.  Steam  is 
a  power  of  the  past,  a  mighty  one  in  its  agency  to  pro- 
mote the  progress  and  development  of  the  world.  It  has 
left  only  grateful  momories  after  it.  But  it  has  departed 
from  the  earth  with  the  wars  it  aided  in  its  day,  with  the 
religious  persecutions  and  myths  of  the  melancholy  ex'as 
when  superstition  agitated  and  oppressed  mankind,  which 
-unlike  it,  have  left  no  grateful  memories  after  them.' 

The  shoe  factory  was  as  unique  in  its  methods  and  its 


RECIPROCITY.  123 

products  as  the  clothing  factory.  While  it  produced  all 
kinds  of  footwear  it  made  them,  or  most  of  them  of  ma- 
terial and  by  methods  unfamiliar  to  me.  The  uppers 
were  woven  or  knitted,  like  the  feet  of  stockings,  the 
insteps  of  the  low-cut  and  ankle  shoes  being  made  with 
open-work  stitches  in  which  elastic  threads  were  used  to 
hold  the  shoe  firmly  yet  gently  to  the  foot,  thus  dispens- 
ing with  laces  and  other  forms  of  fastening.  The  fabric 
of  the  upper  was  waterproofed  without  being  rendered 
non-porous,  I  was  told.  A  sole  made  of  a  compound  of 
fibrous  material,  india  rubber,  gutta  percha,  cork,  sand 
and  other  ingredients,  formed  in  the  shape  and  contour 
of  the  sole  of  the  human  foot,  was  cemented  and  other- 
wise attached  to  the  upper  so  strongly  that  when  once 
fastened  it  could  not  be  removed.  This  sole,  moulded 
under  great  pressure  and  heat,  was  very  elastic  and  fitted 
easily.  There  were  no  heels.  The  uppers  of  the  shoes, 
woven  on  metal  castings  of  different  sized  feet,  moulded 
from  nature,  and  the  soles  to  fit  them,  were  easily  com- 
bined. The  boots  and  shoes  made  by  this  process  were 
quickly  and  cheaply  constructed  and  were  sold  at  much 
lower  prices  than  those  made  of  leather.  Other  factories 
in  the  town,  I  was  informed,  made  boots  and  shoes  of 
leather,  except  that  in  most  cases  the  soles  were  of  the 
compound  and  in  the  form  as  used  in  the  knit  footwear. 
These  soles,  it  was  claimed,  would  outwear  leather  ones, 
besides  being  easier  to  the  feet. 

We  next  visited  the  silk  and  linen  mills.  There  I 
learned  that  the  material  used  in  making  silk  fabrics  was 
not  the  product  of  the  silk  worm,  but  was  produced  by 


1^4  RECIPROCITT. 

chemical  process,  and  said  to  be  superior  in  strength  and 
elasticity  to  the  animal  product,  and  that  linen  cloths 
were  not  made  solely  of  flax  fibre,  but  of  a  mixture  of 
flax,  cotton  stalk  fibre  and  certain  southern  grasses  which 
had  been  acclimated  and  were  grown  in  large  quantities 
in  the  northern  states.  These  and  the  cotton  stalks  were 
decorticated  by  a  new  process,  and  largely  used  also  as 
warps  in  textile  manufactures.  Pure  linen  cloths  and 
laces  were  made.  Mixtures  of  silk,  flax  and  other  strong 
fibres  in  bewildering  variety  were  also  produced  here. 

There  were  also,  I  learned,  some  cotton  mills  in  the 
town,  and  two  or  three  mills  where  wood  work  in  con- 
nection with  house  building,  etc.,  was  done ;  but  as  it  was 
Bearing  the  hour  of  business  suspension  we  decided  to 
omit  them  for  the  time. 

In  all  the  factories  visited,  with  their  thousands  of 
operatives,  I  was  impressed  with  the  uniform  diligence 
and  strict  attention  of  the  workers,  who  seemed  wholly 
intent  on  their  occupations.  I  further  noticed  that  where 
men  and  women  worked  together  there  was  no  chafling 
or  bantering  talk  between  them.  This  led  me  to  remark 
to  the  patriarch  that  there  must  be  strict  rules  in  the 
mills  in  regard  to  behavior  in  working  hours. 

'  Nothing  of  the  kind,'  he  said.  '  The  workers  are  so 
deeply  interested  and  earnest  in  their  occupations  that 
they  give  no  time  or  thought  to  anything  else ;  and,  be- 
sides, their  native  dignity  would  keep  them  from  trifling 
talk  and  actions  at  such  a  time.  When  there  is  a  viola- 
tion of  unwritten  rules  of  behavior,  which  is  of  extremely 
rare  occurrence,  it  is  silently  but  nevertheless  effectually 


EECIPEOCITT.  125 

rebuked.  You  must  not  infer  from  this  that  we  are 
deficient  in  the  sense  of  humor  or  are  not  appreciative  of 
wit  and  lively  conversation  ;  but  there  is  a  time  for  these, 
and  it  is  not  the  work  time.  Our  motto  in  this  respect 
is :  When  you  work  do  it  earnestly,  and  when  you  play 
play  heartily,' 

Our  evening  meal  on  this  day  had  for  its  principal 
dish  brook  trout  —  small,  done  to  a  rich  crisp  on  the  out- 
side, without  being  partly  burnt  as  on  a  griddle  or  frying 
pan.  They  had  been  cooked  in  the  electric  oven  and 
were  juicy  and  toothsome. 

The  family  members  were  vivacious,  as  usual,  and  their 
talk  entertaining.  I  recounted  my  experiences  of  the 
day,  how  wonderful  many  of  the  things  seen  seemed  to 
me  and  what  great  advances  in  education  and  industry 
they  indicated.  A  general  discussion  now  followed,  and 
the  inception,  growth  and  development  of  the  industrial 
and  educational  systems  were  outlined,  to  my  great  satis- 
faction and  enlightenment.  It  was  all  very  pleasant 
and  I  may  say  very  gratifying,  and  was  accorded  with  an 
intelligence  and  evident  desire  to  give  information  that 
fully  satisfied  my  curiosity. 

The  day  had  been  a  strenuous  one,  and  when  the  hour 
for  early  retirement  came  I  was  glad  once  more  to  woo 
the  restful  couch  and  seek  new  energy  and  recuperation 
in  "tired  nature's  sweet  restorer,  balmy  sleep."  After  a 
pleasant  good  night  from  all  the  family  I  retired.  Though 
I  had  much  to  think  of  and  ponder  on  after  my  experi- 
ences of  the  day,  I  no  sooner  laid  down  than  I  fell  into 
a  dreamless  slumber. 


1-6  EECIPEOCITY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ViSITIN-G     UUDEEGROUND      WaTS ThE      ToWN     FaKM 

AND  Town  Stores  —  Finance. 

The  good  night's  rest  refreshed  me,  and  after  a  hearty 
morning  meal,  the  patriarch  said  he  would  take  me  to 
one  of  the  underground  ways  of  the  town — conduits,  in 
which  water  mains  and  pipes  and  electric  wires  were 
carried  throughout  the  territory  down  the  course  of  the 
valley. 

We  entered  the  subway  system  at  a  point  not  far  from 
the  Wellman  residence,  and  I  found  it  an  arched  tunnel 
about  nine  feet  wide  by  ten  feet  high.  The  walls  and 
roof  were  of  concrete.  The  subway  was  lighted  at  in- 
tervals by  glow  lamps,  which  gave  a  dim  but  sufficient 
light  to  distinguish  objects  in  it  plainly  enough  for  our 
jjurpose.  On  one  side,  rising  from  the  floor  was  a  ridge 
or  bench  of  concrete.  My  guide  said  it  covered  a  large 
water  main,  made  of  aluminum  alloy,  coated  with  enamel. 
The  tubes  composing  the  main  had  been  made  in  the 
factory  we  had  already  visited.  It  was  explained  that 
with  such  covering  there  was  no  danger  of  it  bursting 
from  the  pressure  of  water  in  it,  and  being  composed  of 
pipe  lengths  screwed  together  in  sleeves  there  were  no 
leaky  joints.  At  points  where  house  connections  had 
been  made,  or  might  hereafter  be  made,  a  much  stronger 
and  heavier  pipe,  not  covered,  was  used.  These  exposed 
sections  were  prepared  for  new  connections  in  addition 
to  existing  ones. 


KECIPROCITT.  127 

Above  this  water  main  bench  a  network  of  covered 
electric  wires  for  power,  light  and  heating  purposes  were 
strung  on  arm  supports.  There  was  also  a  series  of  wires 
which  had  formerly  been  used  for  telegraph  and  tele- 
phone purposes,  but  they  had  long  since  been  superseded 
by  the  aerial  or  etheric  systems. 

There  was,  on  the  other  side  of  the  subway,  on  the 
floor,  a  large  pipe  or  main  uncovered.  This,  I  was  told, 
was  employed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  cold  air  to 
dwellings,  factories,  public  offices  and  places  of  amuse, 
ment  in  hot  weather.  The  cool  air  was  drawn  from  an 
upper  stratum  of  atmosphere  through  a  tall  tower  placed 
on  an  eminence.  Compressing  fan  blowers,  operated  by 
windmills  on  the  top  of  the  tower,  was  the  force  which 
sent  the  air  through  the  pipe  to  cool  in  summer,  and  in 
winter  to  heat,  resistance  coils  being  energized  through 
which  the  air  was  passed  to  be  heated.  The  coils,  when 
the  current  was  turned  on,  were  capable  of  heating  the 
passing  air  up  to  70  deg.  Fahrenheit.  In  moderate  wea- 
ther the  action  of  the  compressor  could  be  reversed  and 
made  to  exhaust  air  in  buildings  for  ventilating  purposes, 
the  whole  system  being  regulated  electrically.  There 
were  several  of  these  fresh  air  systems  as  well  as  under- 
ground ways  in  the  town. 

Under  the  floor  of  the  subway  a  channel  or  sewer  ran, 
through  which  waste  water  from  the  dwellings  and  fac- 
tories was  conducted  to  reservoirs  further  down  the 
valley,  where  the  water  was  used  for  irrigation  purposes. 
This  subway,  like  others  in  the  town,  had  many  lateral 
branches  or  feeders. 


128  RECIPROCITY. 

'  But  the  sewage  from  the  water  closets,  where  does 
it  go?'  I  asked. 

'  We  have  no  water  closets,'  he  replied.  '  Earth  closets 
are  in  general  use.  These  are  cleaned  out  twice  a  week 
in  warm  weather,  and  once  in  two  weeks  in  the  fall  and 
winter  seasons.  In  the  earth  used,  which  is  thoroughly 
pulverized  and  dried,  there  is  combined  a  chemical  deo- 
dorizer, which  at  the  same  time  has  fertilizing  properties 
The  cleanings  from  the  closets  are  composted,  desiccated 
and  made  into  an  excellent  fertilizer,  which  is  in  great 
favor  with  our  farmers.  We  waste  very  little  in  this  age 
of  economy.  Even  the  swill  from  our  kitchens  is  made 
into  a  fertilizer.' 

'Don't  you  feed  swill  to  your  hogs?'  I  queried. 

<  Where  hogs  and  fowls  are  kept  by  small  farmers  they 
feed  them  with  waste  from  the  table,  and  are  allowed  to 
collect  swill  from  the  villages,  but  this  must  be  done  in 
the  evening  and  only  enough  taken  for  immediate  use, 
to  avoid  fermentation,  but  this  consumes  only  a  small 
amount  of  the  kitchen  waste  of  the  town.'  he  replied. 
'  On  the  town  farm,  however,  where  hogs  and  poultry 
are  raised  by  the  thousands,  they  are  carefully  fed  on 
food  cooked  specially  for  them.  We  find  it  pays  to  feed 
animals  well  and  house  them  in  clean,  well-ventilated 
quarters.' 

'You  have  mentioned  the  town  farm  before,'  I  said. 
*  My  curiosity  is  aroused,  and  1  would  like  to  see  it.' 

'  You  shall  see  it.  We  will  go  there  now,  as  tomorrow 
is  Sunday,  and  a  general  holiday,'  replied  tlae  patriarch, 
and  we  left  the  subway  and  took  seats  in  the  runabout. 


EECIPROCITY  129 

Our  way  led  to  a  section  at  the  south  side  of  the  town, 
one  of  the  finest  and  most  attractive  in  that  splendid  coun- 
try. Along  the  way — the  streets  were  lined  with  elegant 
shade  trees  —  I  had  a  fresh  opportunity  to  note  the  gen- 
eral air  of  thrift,  comfort  and  taste  which  pervaded  every 
homestead.  On  the  small  farms  comfortable  homelike 
cottages  could  be  seen,  and  the  farmers  were  busily  at 
work  in  the  fields.  The  small  fruit  orchards  — the  trees 
loaded  with  young  fruit — on  some  of  the  more  hilly 
places,  and  the  well-kept  groves  of  sugar  maples  which 
eclipsed  them  in  size,  added  to  the  general  effect.  The 
dyke-fences  dividing  the  farms,  as  I  had  already  noted, 
appeared  covered  with  raspberry  and  blackberry  bushes, 
their  branches  bending  under  the  ripening  berries,  while 
the  fruit  trees  planted  on  them  at  intervals  vied  with  the 
smaller  growths  in  the  promise  of  abundant  yield.  There 
were  flower  as  well  as  kitchen  gardens  at  every  dwelling, 
indicating  woman's  taste  and  refinement.  At  every  house 
there  was  an  open  shed,  under  which  the  younger  chil- 
dren could  play,  with  swings,  hobby  horses,  and  other 
means  of  amusement  and  exercise.  Grouped  near  to  the 
farm  houses  were  barns  for  hay  and  grain,  stables  for 
cattle,  sheds  for  sheep,  poultry  yards  and  houses,  and 
houses  and  pens  for  swine.  After  a  pleasant  ride  of  ob- 
servation, we  entered  upon  a  territory  where  farming 
operations  were  evidently  prosecuted  on  a  large  scale. 

<  We  are  now  entering  upon  the  territory  of  our  town 
farm,'  said  the  patriarch.  '  It  covers  an  area  of  about 
six  thousand  acres.' 

We  soon  came  to  a  small  village  or  collection  of  houses, 


130  BECIPROCITT. 

with  extensive  outbuildings  —  barns,  stables,  dairies,  and 
other  structures  for  domestic  animals.  All  tlie  buildings 
for  stock  and  other  farm  uses  were  on  a  large  scale.  We 
wheeled  up  to  one  of  the  cottages  —  they  were  all  about 
the  size  of  ordinary  farm  cottages,  containing,  I  judged, 
about  eight  or  ten  rooms  each  —  and  alighted.  A  wo- 
man answered  our  summons,  and  said  her  husband,  the 
superintendent,  was  in  a  field  near  by  engaged  in  farm 
work.  The  woman  was  accompanied  by  two  chubby 
children,  with  the  roses  of  health  in  full  bloom  on  their 
cheeks,  who  clung  to  her  skirts  and  eyed  us  curiously. 
We  walked  into  the  field,  where  I  caught  sight  of  the 
first  horses  I  had  seen  since  I  came  to  the  town.  They 
were  drawing  cultivators  in  a  potato  field  of  apparently 
illimitable  extent,  probably  of  several  hundred  acres.  A 
number  of  horses  were  at  work,  each  harnessed  to  a  light 
cultivator,  I  was  pleased  to  see  the  noble  animals,  whose 
general  absence  had  made  me  feel  lonely  since  I  came  to 
the  town. 

The  superintendent,  I  found,  was  an  all-around  man, 
being  a  well-trained  and  educated  agriculturist.  He  first 
took  us  to  a  group  of  houses  for  swine,  located  some  dis- 
tance from  the  dwellings.  The  breeding  pens  were 
larger  than  the  fattening  ones,  and  houses  and  pens  were 
very  clean  and  well  ventilated.  The  animals,  I  'earned, 
were  fed  at  regular  hours  three  times  a  day,  had  plenty 
of  running  water  to  drink  and  to  wallow  in,  and  looked 
clean  and  healthy.  Care  was  taken,  we  were  told,  not  to 
interbreed  too  closely,  as  it  was  found  to  dwarf  the  stock 
and  even  produce  an  inferior  quality  of  meat. 


EECIPROCITT.  131 

Tlie  stables  where  the  cattle  were  housed  were  also 
located  at  some  distance  from  the  dwellings.  More  than 
twenty-five  hundred  milch  cows,  besides  the  young  stock, 
were  kept  on  the  farm.  The  cattle  were  not  all  kept  in 
one  place,  but  were  distributed  among  the  four  groups  of 
villages  on  it,  one  of  which  we  were  then  at  —  the  cen- 
tral one.  The  stables  at  this  place  were  models  of  clean 
and  well  kept  animal  shelters.  When  the  cattle  were 
housed  deodorizing  chemicals  were  used  daily.  At  that 
season,  however,  only  the  working  horses  were  stabled 
at  night,  the  other  animals  being  kept  in  the  pastures. 

I  learned  that  heating  of  stables,  swine  and  poultry 
houses  in  cold  weather  was  practised.  By  this  system 
the  comfort  of  the  animals  was  promoted,  and  it  was 
found  to  be  economical  because  much  less  food  was 
needed.  I  thought  this  method  of  treatment  of  farm 
stock  was  a  great  improvement  on  the  old  ones.  Why 
not  promote  the  comfort  as  well  as  the  health  of  useful 
animals  during  their  brief  existence  ?  They  are  our  less 
selfish  fellow  creatures. 

All  the  animals  on  the  farm  were  carefully  bred,  those 
of  vicious  propensities  being  restrained  from  propagating 
■ —  were  fattened  and  killed  when  young.  Good  breeds 
and  judicious  crosses  had  established  a  general  excellence 
in  all  lines  of  domestic  animals  on  the  farm.  In  fact,  as 
I  learned,  this  was  the  general  usage  everywhere.  Xeats 
cattle  were  raised  of  two  strains  — ■  for  milk  and  butter 
production,  and  for  beef  purposes.  Very  young  calves 
were  not  slaughtered  for  veal.  The  same  rule  regarding 
sheep  and  swine  prevailed,  and  a  careful  inspection  of  all 


132  RECIPROCITY. 

animals  to  be  slaughtered  was  made  by  veterinary  sur- 
geons, to  see  that  they  were  fit  for  food. 

This  farm  sent  out  daily  large  quantities  of  milk  to 
supply  families  who  did  not  keep  cows.  The  surplus 
milk  was  used  for  butter  and  cheese-making.  The  bulk 
of  the  milk  supply,  however,  was  derived  from  the  small 
farmers. 

On  a  hillside,  which  sloped  to  the  southeast,  back  of 
the  farm  village,  was  a  large  area  —  probably  fifty  acres 
—  under  glass.  The  greenhouses  were  idle  at  the  time 
of  our  visit,  but  in  the  fall  cultivation  of  vegetables  for 
winter  use  was  begun.  These  greenhouse  supplied  fresh 
vegetables  for  winter  consumption,  as  well  as  plants  for 
early  out-door  spring  planting,  vegetation  in  them  being 
quickened  and  promoted  by  a  judicious  employment  of 
the  electric  current  both  in  the  soil  and  in  the  form  of 
light  at  night. 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  cereals,  the  farm  produced 
large  quantities  of  roots,  including  beets  for  distilling 
purposes.  It  was  found  that  corn  stalks,  formerly  raised 
for  fodder  only,  were  rich  in  saccharine  matter,  and  they 
had  been  added  to  the  alcohol-producing  roots  and  grains 
of  the  farm. 

The  land  was  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  farm 
was  run  on  scientific  principles,  the  superintendent  being 
a  chemist  as  well  as  an  experienced  agriculturist.  I  was 
told  that  a  knowledge  of  agricultural  chemistry  was  gen- 
eral among  the  farmers,  and  that  to  the  early  granges 
was  largely  due  such  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  science 
and  practice  of  farming ;  also  that  those  organizations  had 


EECIPROCITT.  133 

an  important  agency  in  bringing  about  the  general  sys- 
tem of  co-operation  in  the  farming  and  all  other  industries, 
which  naturally  led  to  the  existing  system  of  communal 
proprietorship  of  lands  and  dwellings,  and  the  ownership 
and  operation  of  all  manufactm-ing  industries,  as  well  as 
of  all  public  utilities, 

'  We  will  now,  if  you  desire,'  said  the  superintendent, 
'  visit  the  homes  of  the  aged  and  infirm  members  of  our 
commune.  They  are  mostly  those  who  have  no  surviv- 
ing relatives  or  whose  children  and  other  kin  have  gone 
abroad  and  settled  elsewhere.  Being  citizens  of  the 
town,  they  are  entitled  to  either  pension  or  support  from 
it,  and  choose  this  place  as  a  residence  instead  of  living 
alone  or  in  private  families.' 

I  did  not  marvel  at  their  choice  when  I  saw  how  com- 
fortably these  old  people  were  placed  and  observed  their 
cheerful  and  sanitary  habitations  as  well  as  the  flower 
gardens  surroiinding  them.  The  dwellings  were  in  a 
group  of  attached  buildings,  constructed  in  the  form  of 
a  letter  Y,  the  large  or  main  building  forming  the  stem, 
the  wings  spreading  out  from  its  rear  section.  In  the 
main  building,  which  was  one  of  large  dimensions,  and 
three  stories  in  height,  were  located  the  infirmary,  the 
hospital  wards  and  doctor's  and  nurses'  quarters.  The 
vsdngs  were  of  one  story  and  subdivided  into  two  and 
three-room  tenements,  the  first  for  single  persons  or  for 
married  people — a  living  and  a  bedroom;  the  second  for 
an  old  couple  needing  constant  attendance,  perhaps  a 
relative  who  chose  to  act  as  an  attendant,  or  a  nurse 
of  the   hospital.     The  lines  of   Pope's  'Man  of   Ross' 


134  BECIPROCITT. 

occurred  to  rae  when  I  beheld  these  happy  and  contented 
old  people,  most  of  them  nonogenarians  and  a  few  over 
the  century  mark,  I  was  told,  and  I  mentally  repeated 
the  lines : 

'  He  feeds  yon  almshouse,  neat,  but  void  of  state. 
Where  age  and  want  sit  smiling  at  the  gate.' 
This  Avas  no  almshouse,  however.  It  was  a  chosen  home, 
and  there  was  no  want.  But  the  sentiment  of  the  '  Man 
of  Ross'  was  in  evidence:  the  great  heart  of  a  just  and 
fraternal  community  —  a  people  who  practised  the  reli- 
gion of  humanity,  I  was  glad  to  note,  presided  over  and 
sustained  this  bounty.  I  learned  that  where  weak  eyes 
or  dimness  of  vision  prevented  any  of  the  inmates  from 
reading  newspapers  or  books  from  the  library,  attendants 
read  to  them,  and  they  were  cheered  three  times  a  week 
by  concerts  and  other  entertainments  in  a  hall  in  the 
main  building.  A  general  dining  hall  was  provided,  but 
those  who  could  not  come  to  it  had  food  served  in  their 
apartments. 

'  All  this,'  said  the  patriarch, '  is  done  for  these  people 
not  as  a  matter  of  charity,  but  as  payment  for  what  they 
have  done  during  an  active  life  of  faithful  service  to  the 
commune.  They  are  now  simply  living  on  their  earnings 
saved  in  the  general  fund.' 

What  a  wonderful  change,  I  thought,  must  have  been 
wrought  in  the  conduct  of  men  towards  one  another  from 
the  time  when  the  pathetic  ballad,  '  Over  the  Hill  to  the 
Poor-house'  had  its  significance  and  this  new  time  and 
new  dispensation ! 

Satisfied  with  the  information  gained  in  regard  to  the 


BECIPROCITT. 


135 


conditions  prevailing  at  the  town  farm,  I  thanked  the 
courteous  superintendent  for  his  attention,  and  with  my 
guide  remounted  the  carriage  which  was  started  on  our 
return,  but  by  another  road.  My  brain  was  filled  with 
wonder  and  admiration  at  the  many  evidences  which  I 
had  already  had  of  the  new  civilization  in  which  humani- 
tarian metliods  were  so  successfully  reduced  to  practice. 
I  now  made  some  further  inquiry  in  regard  to  the  regu- 
lations prevailing  in  the  town.  The  old  man  said  in 
reply : 

'We  have  a  code  of  regulations,  which  have  been 
adopted  by  vote  of  the  entire  people;  from  time  to  time, 
as  called  for  by  the  exigencies  of  changing  conditions. 
These  are  published  twice  a  year,  January  1  and  July  1. 
Every  family  receives  a  copy  of  them,  so  that  no  one  can 
plead  ignorance  of  their  provisions.  As  a  result,  any 
violation  of  them  is  extremely  rare.  None  is  onerous, 
however,  and  all  are  reasonable.  This  may  account  for 
it,  in  part,  at  least.' 

'  But  if  these  regulations  should  be  violated,  what  are 
the  penalties  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Rarely  more  than  a  slight  fine,  generally  an  acknowl- 
edgment or  explanation  by  the  transgressor,  and  promise 
not  to  repeat  the  offence,  are  all  that  is  exacted,'  replied 
the  patriarch.  '  We  believe  in  restitution  and  repentance 
rather  than  in  punishment.  It  leaves  no  sting  or  feeling 
of  injustice  suffered.' 

'  Of  course  you  have  laws  and  a  judiciary  to  interpret 
and  enforce  them,'  I  said. 

'We  have  statutory  laws,  state  and  national,  and  a 


136  RECIPROCITY. 

well  organized  judiciary  system.  Our  laws  against  flag- 
rant misdemeanors,  such  as  murder,  felonious  crimes  and 
violations  of  that  nature,  are  severe  and  strictly  enforced, 
but  it  is  now  extremely  rare  that  such  crimes  occur  any- 
where. The  fact  is,  by  our  system  of  repression,  we  have 
weeded  society  quite  thoroughly  of  its  abnormal  elements. 
The  active  agency  of  our  judiciary,  therefore,  is  so  little 
called  for  that  judges  and  lawyers  find  more  congenial 
occupation  in  other  pursuits,  though  still  nominally  in 
the  profession.  For  example,  my  son  is  a  judge  of  the 
superior  court,  and  there  are  several  lawyers  in  town,  but 
their  services  as  such  are  rarely  called  for,  so  they  make 
themselves  useful  to  the  commune  by  superintending  or 
working  in  factories,  teaching,  farming,  and  other  useful 
occupations,'  he  explained. 

'  Then  your  son's  profession  does  not  interfere  with  his 
mercantile  occupation,'  I  observed. 

'  No ;  he  is  simply  an  agent  of  the  commune.  There 
are  five  stores  in  the  town  — one  in  each  precinct —  and 
all  the  people  supply  their  wants  from  them.  My  son 
will  inform  you  about  the  details  of  the  business,'  he 
said. 

'  You  have  already  informed  me  in  regard  to  the  selec- 
tion of  town  oflicials  and  their  terms  of  oflSce,  their  duties, 
and  so  forth.  On  a  broader  scale,  let  me  ask  how  state 
and  national  representatives  and  officials  are  chosen  ? '  I 
said. 

'  Committees  are  chosen  by  ballot  from  the  different 
precincts  of  the  town  whose  duty  it  is  to  arrange  with 
similar  committees  of  other  towns,  in  convention,  as  to 


EECIPKOCITT.  137 

the  nomination  of  representatives.  Delegates  for  nomi- 
nation of  national  representatives  are  chosen  by  these 
district  conventions.  All  representatives  are  elected  by 
dii-ect  vote  of  the  people.  The  same  is  true  with  respect 
to  the  election  of  President  and  Yice-President.  These 
latter  are  elected  for  a  term  of  ten  years,  and  are  not 
eligible  for  re-election  to  the  same  offices.  In  fact,  the 
terms  of  incumbency  of  all  public  offices  is  the  decade. 
The  same  general  system  of  choice  of  public  officers  and 
term  of  office  prevails  in  the  sister  Republic  of  Canada, 
with  which  country,  as  with  all  others,  we  have  had  ab- 
solute free  trade  for  hiindreds  of  years  past.  It  is  the 
duty  of  all  citizens,  men  and  women,  to  vote  at  elections, 
and,  I  will  add,  they  faithfully  discharge  it,'  said  the  old 
man,  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction. 

'Are  changes  in  public  offices  frequent?'  I  queried. 

'  No,'  he  said.  '  Public  office  is  rarely  sought  for,  and 
those  who  are  chosen,  with  the  exceptions  named,  can 
retain  the  same  during  active  life,  but  they  must  be  re- 
nominated and  re-elected  at  the  end  of  each  term.  Wo- 
men as  well  as  men  are  eligible  for  all  offices  in  town, 
state  and  nation.' 

<  How  many  political  parties  have  you  ? '  I  asked. 

'  There  are  no  political  parties  nowadays,'  he  replied. 
*  Men  and  women  are  selected  and  chosen  for  their  fitness 
and  ability,  and  re-elected  for  faithfulness  of  service ;  but 
the  high  offices  of  President  and  Vice-President  are  given 
successively  to  men  (though  women  are  not  debarred) 
representing  different  sections  of  the  country,  which  is  di 
vided  into  ten  districts  for  that  purpose,  so  that  all  the 


138  RECIPROCITY. 

sections  are  represented  once  in  each  century.  Two  are 
nominated  for  each  of  the  high  offices,  as  well  as  for  seats 
in  Congress  and  the  State  Legislatures,  and  the  people 
choose  between  them,  the  best  esteemed  for  ability,  char- 
acter and  public  service  being  usually  chosen.  These 
men  and  their  character  and  ability  are  made  known  to 
the  people  through  the  public  press.  There  are  no  ora- 
tions or  stump  sjaeeches  made  or  called  for.  Before  the 
day  of  election,  however,  one  of  the  candidates  for  the 
highest  offices  usually  withdraws.  People  generally  do 
not  seek  public  office,  but  when  elected  accept  it  as  a 
duty  every  citizen  owes  to  his  commune,  state  or  coun- 
try. Men  in  the  humblest  occupations  are  often  chosen 
to  the  highest  offices.  There  is  little  to  be  gained  by 
public  service  save  the  applause  of  fellow  citizens  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  duty  and  the  ajjproval  of  one's 
own  conscience.  There  is  no  opportunity  for  personal 
eni'ichment,  and  indeed  such  aggrandisement  is  now  of 
little  significance  to  any  man  of  merit  and  character.' 

'  If  Canada  is  a  rejDublic,  why  has  it  not  become  a  part 
of  our  federation  ? '  I  asked. 

'Canada,'  he  replied,  'is  a  nation  with  a  connected  ter- 
ritory larger  than  the  United  States,  with  a  population  of 
more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  millions,  while  the  popu- 
lation of  the  United  States  is  three  hundred  and  fifty 
millions,  and  were  it  not  for  the  growing  simplicity  of 
our  institutions,  in  which  the  units  bear  the  burden  of 
the  details  of  self-government,  this  vast  aggregation  of 
people  would  form  a  mass  which,  under  the  old  system* 
would  be  too  unwieldy  for  management  by  centralized 


RECIPROCITY. 


139 


authority  alone.  To  explain  further,  as  our  civilization 
is  being  developed  it  is  found  that  where  effective  self- 
government  can  be  secured  in  the  communes  or  towns — 
those  important  units  of  a  state — the  government  of  a 
state  composed  of  such  units  and  a  nation  composed  of 
such  states  —  its  polity,  I  mean  —  should  not  be  one  of 
great  complexity  or  difficulty,  as  you  can  see.  On  the 
contrary,  the  direction  of  such  co-operative  units  in  the 
matters  of  general  concern  should  be  quite  natural  and 
easy  of  accomplishment.  There  are  no  special  rewards 
for  public  service,  as  I  have  already  said,  beyond  the  ap- 
preciation and  approbation  of  fellow  citizens  and  the 
approval  of  one's  own  conscience.  It  is  a  more  grateful 
and  satisfactory  reward  for  conscientious  performance  of 
duty  than  any  other  form  of  gain.  We  are  here  to  be  as 
happy  as  we  can  be  under  existing  conditions  and  to  make 
others  happy,  and  endeavor  to  practise  as  well  as  teach 
"the  luxury  of  doing  good."  ' 

By  this  time  we  had  reached  the  Wellman  home,  where 
a  good  dinner  was  waiting  on  a  good  appetite.  At  the 
close  of  the  meal,  Mr.  "Wellman  —  I  should  perhaps  call 
him  Judge  —  in  response  to  the  request  from  his  father 
—  agreed  to  explain  financial  and  mercantile  matters  to 
me  after  siesta. 

When  this  season  of  grateful  repose  ended,  my  host 
took  me  into  his  store,  which  was  a  very  extensive  one, 
reminding  me  of  the  department  stores  of  New  York, 
Chicago  and  Boston,  and  showed  me  through  its  various 
departments.  There  were  in  these  a  number  of  clerks, 
male  and  female,  according  to  the  character  of  the  goods 


140  RECIPROCITY. 

in  them  —  dry  goods,  dress  goods,  millinery  and  lingere 
having  women  clerks,  and  the  other  departments  men 
clerks. 

It  being  Saturday  afternoon,  the  store  began  to  fill 
with  customers,  and  the  clerks  were  kept  busy  attending 
them.  I  noticed  that  when  a  bill  of  goods  was  rendered, 
instead  of  paying  for  it  in  money  the  customer  simply 
indorsed  the  bill.  I  remarked  about  this,  and  was  told 
that  by  indorsing  it  the  customer  acknowledged  receipt 
of  goods  charged.  This  indorsement  not  only  served  as 
a  voucher  on  the  part  of  the  storekeeper  that  he  had  de- 
livered the  goods  charged  in  the  bill,  but  when  it  was 
handed  into  the  town  treasury  the  amount  was  charged 
against  the  salary  or  income  of  the  buyer. 

'  I  see  that  you  do  not  require  the  direct  use  of  money 
in  your  business,'  I  observed. 

*  We  do  not,'  said  Mr.  "VV.,  '  as  a  rule,  though  we  also 
sell  for  ready  currency  when  the  customer  prefers  to  pay 
in  that  way.  By  this  method,  however,  we  find  that 
mistakes  in  bookkeping  are  least  liable  to  occur.  After 
recording  them  on  the  books,  we  hand  the  indorsed  bills 
over  to  the  town  treasury  on  the  Monday  of  each  week, 
where  the  amounts  are  credited  to  us  and  debited  to  the 
purchasers.  Thus,  as  the  purchaser  has  a  credit  account 
at  the  town  treasury  for  his  weekly  salary  or  income, 
the  total  amount  of  his  purchases  during  the  week  is  de- 
ducted from  it,  and  the  balance  paid  him  or  placed  to  his 
credit  if  he  so  desires.' 

'What  is  he  paid  in  —  coin  or  currency?'  I  inquired. 

'  Either,  or  both,  as  he  chooses,'  was  the  reply. 


EECIPEOCITT.  141 

I  now  asked  what  coins  and  currency  were  in  circula- 
tion. He  opened  a  money  drawer  and  showed  me  a 
number  of  coins  of  aluminum  and  aluminum  bronze. 
They  were  all  tokens,  he  explained,  not  otherwise  valu- 
able. The  smallest  one  was  of  our  one  cent  size,  with  a 
'  1 '  on  both  sides  surrounded  by  a  wreath.  A  somewhat 
larger  coin  had  the  figure  '  5  '  on  one  side  and  '  v  '  on  the 
other  —  both  of  copper.  Other  and  larger  coins  with 
figures  indicating  their  denominations,  and  different  de- 
vices, the  sizes  varying,  for  10,  20,  50  and  100  cents,  the 
latter  having,  in  addition  to  the  figures  the  word  'dollar' 
on  the  obverse  side,  were  shown ;  all  these  were  of  alu- 
minum. Coin  of  higher  denominations,  representing  ^'2, 
82.50,  $5,  110  and  820,  more  elaborately  and  artistically 
designed  and  of  five  different  sizes,  were  shown  in  bronze 
alloy  of  copper  and  aluminum,  of  the  color  of  gold ;  but 
the  light  weight  of  these  coins  as  well  as  differences  in 
design  easily  distinguished  them  from  gold  coins.  A\\ 
these  tokens,  I  was  informed,  were  exchangeable  for  gold 
coin  or  bullion  or  silver  bullion,  or  for  paper  currency 
or  government  bonds  bearing  interest.  Gold  coins  were 
rarely  called  for,  except  by  people  going  abroad.  Silver 
was  not  coined.  It  was  sold  in  the  market,  like  copper 
and  other  metals.  Currency  could  be  procured  through 
the  post  oflice,  though  it  was  seldom  called  for  or  used 
by  the  people.  No  bills  of  a  lower  denomination  than 
$20  were  issued.  The  other  denominations  were  825, 
$50,  8100,  8500  and  81000.  The  bills  of  the  varions 
denominations  were  of  different  sizes.  The  lower  ones 
were  printed  in  single  colors,  except  the  figures,  which 


142  EECIPROCITT. 

were  in  contrasting  colors,  while  the  higher  were  printed 
in  from  three  to  five  colors  or  shades  in  different  combi- 
nations, some  of  the  colors  running  along  the  face  of  the 
bills,  others  directly  across,  and  others  diagonally  across 
from  opposite  angles.  The  only  backing  was  the  figures 
showing  the  denomination,  which  covered  the  entire  back 
of  the  bill. 

'  Of  course,'  I  said,  '  the  general  government  issues  all 
coins  and  current  paper  money,  but  how  and  where  do 
the  banks  procure  them  ? ' 

'  There  are  no  banks  outside  the  commune  treasuries,' 
he  replied,  '  and  they  procure  tokens,  currency,  gold  coin 
and  bullion  through  the  post  olKce  department  from  the 
national  treasury.  Government  bonds  are  procured  in 
the  same  way.' 

'  What  are  the  tokens  and  currency  procurable  with  ? ' 
I  asked. 

'  They  are  procurable  with  government  bonds.  To  be 
more  definite,'  explained  Mr.  W.,  'all  bonds  and  every 
form  of  currency,  except  gold,  are  based  upon  govern- 
ment property;  that  is,  upon  the  general  land  and  water 
transportation  systems  of  the  country,  which  are  owned 
and  operated  for  the  people  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment. On  acquiring  these  utilities  from  the  private 
owners,  the  government  issued  bonds,  based  on  them, 
bearing  a  low  rate  of  interest  —  one  and  a  half  per  cent. 
per  annum.  The  bonds  can  be  purchased  with  any  of 
the  currency  or  token  coins  in  circulation,  or  with  gold, 
and  are  redeemable  in  the  same.  They  are  obtained 
through  the  post  office,  and  are  in  demand  for  investment.' 


EECIPEOCITT.  113 

*But,'  I  said,  *  if  the  general  government  gave  bonds 
in  payment  for  the  transportation  systems,  how  can  it 
now  own  the  bonds?' 

'  The  original  bonds  of  purchase  were  long  since  re- 
deemed out  of  the  surplus  earnings  of  those  lines,  and 
retired.  They  paid  for  themselves  in  less  than  fifty  years. 
The  bonds  now  issued  are  based  on  this  form  of  national 
property,  and  the  operation  of  the  transportation  systems 
secures  to  government  enough  revenue  above  operating 
expenses  to  pay  interest  on  outstanding  bonds  and  cost 
of  running  all  the  departments  of  the  national  govern- 
ment. The  general  government,  therefore,  is  not  only 
self-supporting  but  it  has  in  its  treasury  a  vast  hoard  of 
gold.  In  consequence  of  this  flourishing  condition  of 
our  national  affairs  we  have  no  federal  taxes  to  pay  in 
the  form  of  internal  revenue  or  as  duties  on  importations 
from  abroad,  while  our  state  and  county  taxes  are  merely 
nominal.  You  can  thus  see  that  the  ownership  of  these 
vast  transportation  systems  is  a  very  safe  and  permanent 
asset  for  government  to  base  its  fiscal  system  upon,  and 
is  really  in  the  nature  of  capital,  just,  as  in  our  commune, 
lands,  buildings  and  industrial  concerns  are." 

'  How  did  the  communes  first  acquire  the  lands  and 
the  industries  ? '  I  asked. 

'  About  nine  hundred  years  ago,  after  the  general  gov- 
ernment had  acquired  full  ownership  of  all  transportation 
lines,  and  operated  them  to  the  great  advantage  of  the 
public,  the  more  progressive  states  of  the  Union  changed 
their  constitutions  so  that  the  various  communes  were 
empowered  to  acquire  by  purchase  all  the  realties  and 


144  RECIPROCITY. 

industries  in  their  territory.  This  transfer  of  property 
was  to  be  made  only  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  people. 
At  first  only  a  few  towns  ventured  on  the  new  system  of 
co-operation,  but  their  success  soon  induced  others  to 
adopt  it ;  and  thus  town  after  town  and  state  after  state 
wheeled  into  the  line  of  co-operative  progress. 

'  The  holdings  thus  taken  were  paid  for  by  debentures 
bearing  a  small  rate  of  interest.  Fifty  years  was  the 
time  in  which  these  bonds  matured,  but,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  most  of  them  were  redeemed  inside  of  twenty  years, 
the  people  making  sacrifices  and  vying  with  each  other 
in  efforts  to  extinguish  these  debts.  When  they  were 
paid,  the  communes  at  once  became  independent  and 
prosperous.  Of  course  it  took  many  years  of  effort  and 
experiment  to  fully  adjust  industrial  conditions  to  the 
new  order  of  things,  but  this  came  at  length,  and  we  are 
now  enjoying  the  good  results.' 

'  Returning  to  our  present  inquiry,'  I  said,  '  how  are 
you  compensated  for  administering  the  business  done  in 
this  store  ? ' 

<  After  the  business  of  the  year  has  been  computed, 
and  a  settlement  with  the  town  treasurer  made,  which 
includes  salaries  of  clerks  and  assistants  —  a  [small  rate 
of  profit  having  been  added  to  the  cost  of  the  goods  sold 
—  I  am  allowed  a  percentage  on  the  sales.  This  can 
never  exceed  $2000  a  year,  no  matter  how  large  a  busi- 
ness is  done.  The  salaries  of  the  clerks,  including  my 
son,  are  paid  by  the  town  and  charged  to  the  business. 
I  should  say  the  expenses  of  the  business  are  equal  to 
about  5  per  cent,  on  the  first  cost  of  the  goods.     If  any 


EECIPEOCITT.  145 

surplus  over  expenses  remains  at  the  end  of  the  year,  it 
goes  into  the  town  treasury.  There  is  usually  a  small 
profit  in  the  business,  so  that  the  fund  derived  from  this 
source  in  time  amounts  to  a  snug  sum.  When  this  fund 
reaches  a  certain  sum,  it  enables  the  commune  to  reduce 
the  percentage  of  profit  on  goods  sold.  This  and  all  the 
other  utilities  are  made  to  contribute  to  the  general  bene- 
fit of  the  people.' 

'  How  do  people  invest  their  savings,  thrifty  people,  I 
mean?'  I  asked. 

'  All  our  people  are  thrifty,'  he  said.  '  Their  savings 
are  deposited  in  the  postal  savings  banks,  where  they 
are  readily  reached  for  withdrawal.  Some  investors  pur- 
chase government  bonds.  The  same  rate  of  interest  — 
one  and  a  half  per  cent. —  is  paid  in  both  cases.  De- 
positors can  draw  on  their  books  at  any  post  office  in 
any  part  of  the  couniry,  or  get  their  bonds  cashed  and 
draw  interest  on  the  same.' 

'  How  is  the  depositor  identified  in  other  places  than 
his  own  commune?'  I  asked. 

'  By  his  or  her  number  —  not  the  number  of  the  book 
only,  but  the  number  of  the  individual,  which  is  also  re- 
corded on  the  book,'  he  replied. 

'  I  do  not  understand  you,'  I  said. 

*I  suppose  not,'  he  commented,  'but  I  will  explain  the 
matter  to  you.  Every  person  born  in  this  town  and  in 
every  other  town  in  the  Union  is  numbered  according  to 
name  and  locality,  which  number  is  printed  indelibly  on 
the  under  side  of  both  arms,  half  way  between  the  wrist 
and  elbow,  by  the  X-rays.     This  marking  is  made  when 


146 


BECIPKOCITY. 


the  person  is  ten  years  of  age,  and  the  marks  remain  for 
life.  This  number  is  stamped  or  written  on  the  bank 
book  instead  of  the  name.' 

He  bared  his  arm  and  showed  me,  plainly  printed  on 
it,  these  figures:  5:  147:  23:  1. 

'  That,'  he  said  is  my  number.  The  first  figure  gives 
the  state  number,  the  second  the  number  of  this  town, 
the  third  the  number  of  the  alphabetical  letter  beginning 
the  surname,  and  the  fourth  the  first  letter  of  the  given 
name.  Thus,  5  means  Vermont,  147  Pomfret,  23  the 
letter  "W,  and  1  the  letter  A.  In  the  town  directory,  as 
you  see,  the  name  is  given:  "Aron  Welman,  (5:  147: 
23:  1)."  Occupation,  residence,  etc.,  follow.  When  a 
depositor  desires  to  draw  on  his  book  account  he  must 
show  his  number  and  sign  his  name  for  the  amount  with- 
drawn. If  money  is  called  for  by  another  than  the  de  ■ 
positor,  he  must  produce  a  written  order,  giving  his  own 
number,  and  being  identified  in  the  usual  way.  This 
may  appear  to  you  a  complex  method  of  identification, 
but  it  is  a  really  simple  one,  and  prevents  mistakes.  Be- 
sides, if  you  travel  in  other  countries,  your  passport  will 
contain  your  number,  and  you  can  thus  easily  establish 
your  identity.  Few  of  our  people,  however,  go  abroad  — • 
that  is,  to  the  countries  of  Europe,  Africa  and  Asia  — 
but  many  travel  to  different  parts  of  the  American  conti- 
nent, where  passports  are  not  required.' 

'  Are  the  countries  south  of  us  conf edrated  ? '  I  asked. 

'Yes;  Mexico  and  the  Central  American  States  are  in 
one  confederation,  and  the  South  American  States  form 
a  fourth  continental  confederation.' 


RKCIPROCITT.  147 

*  What  of  world  federation  ? '  I  asked. 

'  The  countries  of  Europe,  Asia,  Africa  and  Australia 
have  federal  unions.  All  are  conjoined  with  the  Ameri- 
can unions  in  a  world  federation,  which  has  been  in  exis- 
ence  about  two  hundred  years,  and  the  World's  Congress, 
which  meets  in  January  of  each  year  in  the  City  of  Rome, 
the  World's  Capital,  is  comjjosed  of  representatives  of 
all  the  federations.  It  acts  on  and  decides  all  matters  of 
conflict  of  interest  between  the  nations  and  peoples.  It 
is,  in  fact,  a  highest  court  of  arbitration,  and  secures  the 
peace  of  the  world,'  he  replied. 

*  Are  its  decisions  accepted  in  all  cases  ? ' 
'  Yes,  invariably,'  he  replied. 

'  Do  your  town's  people  travel  much  ? '  I  asked. 

'  In  the  summer  season  nearly  every  one  makes  visits 
to  New  York,  Boston  and  the  sea  beaches  of  the  Atlantic 
coast.     Railway  fares  are  very  reasonable,'  he  said. 

'What  is  the  fare  to  Boston  and  New  York  now?'  I 
asked. 

'  To  Boston,  one  dollar ;  a  round  trip  ticket,  $1.75.  The 
rate  to  New  York  is  the  same,'  he  replied. 

'  Of  course  it  pays,'  I  remarked. 

*  Yes  —  a  fair  profit  to  the  government.  The  volume 
of  travel  and  traffic  on  the  railroads  is  very  great  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  but  of  course  travel  is  largest  in  the 
summer  season,  the  sun's  warmth  promoting  this  as  well 
as  all  the  other  activities  of  life  and  motion.  In  winter, 
when  farm  work  is  slack,  the  farmers  travel  a  good  deal, 
though  they  can  get  work  in  some  of  the  factories  if  they 
want  it.     But  many  of  them  go  to  the  big  cities,  and  take 


148  RECIPROCITY. 

their  wives  and  young  children  with  them  for  a  visit  to 
friends  or  to  see  the  sights.  The  cars  are  nearly  always 
comfortably  filled  with  passengers.' 

'  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Wellman,  for  being  so  inquisitive,'  I 
said,  '  but  how  did  you  first  obtain  the  position  of  town 
storekeeper,  and  how  long  a  term  are  you  appointed 
for?' 

'  The  position  is  an  appointive  one  by  the  town  council, 
the  term  of  appointment  being  ten  years.  To  those  once 
appointed  the  ofiice  is  practically  a  life  one,  for  it  is  rea- 
lized that  an  incumbent  who  is  faithful  and  efficient  is  the 
best  qualified  to  retain  the  position,  and  he  is  reappointed 
from  decade  to  decade  until  he  reaches  the  age  of  retire- 
ment, and  even  then  he  can  hold  it  for  another  term  if 
he  desires.  That  is  the  usage.  My  own  time  for  retiring 
will  come  in  six  months  from  now,  but  I  have  decided  to 
take  another  term.  When  I  do  retire  my  assistant,  who 
is  my  eldest  son,  will  probably  succeed  me,  for  the  reason 
that  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  business ;  but  he 
will  have  to  be  appointed  by  the  town  council.  There  is 
no  seeking  for  ofiice  by  untried  men  nowadays,  as  they 
are  certain  to  meet  with  disappointment.  If  my  son,  in 
next  ten  years,  should  obtain  another  position,  then  one 
of  the  more  experienced  clerks  would  be  chosen  to  fill 
the  place.  But  while  faithful  servants  are  not  discarded 
for  new  men,  the  commune  is  not  bound  to  continue  any 
one  in  ofliee  after  his  tei'm  expires.' 

After  my  interview  with  Mr.  Wellman  I  left  the  store, 
and  took  a  stroll  around  the  village  in  the  neighborhood 
(there  were  several  such  villages  in  the  town),  in  order 


EECIPEOCITY.  149 

to  study  the  place  and  the  people  without  a  mentor. 
The  residents  were  moving  about  actively,  going  hither 
and  thither,  on  business  or  on  pleasure  bent.  They  all 
seemed  cheerful,  as  if  in  the  enjoyment  of  life.  The 
young  were  sportive  and  gleeful,  and  made  the  air  vocal 
with  their  clear,  rich  voices  raised  in  song,  laughter  and 
sprightly  conversation.  But  at  the  same  time  they  were 
not  boisterous  or  disagreeably  noisy.  There  was  not  in 
all  these  manifestations  of  street  life  a  jarring  note  of 
disputation  or  contention.  It  was  indeed  an  ideal  scene 
of  outdoor  peaceful  and  rational  neighborly  commingling, 
in  which  all  appeared  to  act  spontaneously.  Along  the 
streets  were  large  American  elms  whose  wide  spreading 
branches  embowered  the  roadway. 

After  a  pleasant  ramble  of  about  half  an  hour,  I  came 
back  to  the  Wellman  home,  where  I  found  the  patriarch 
and  his  wife,  my  hostess,  Mrs.  Wellman,  her  daughter  and 
daughter-in-law,  and  the  loveable  young  son  of  the  latter, 
who  at  once  came  to  where  I  was  seated,  climbed  onto 
my  knee  and  asked  a  number  of  bewildering  questions, 
one  of  which,  especialty,  puzzled  me  greatly  to  answer ; 
it  was  as  to  my  age.  If  I  counted  the  years  I  had  lived 
as  I  realized  them  I  would  be  78,  but  if  I  added  a  thousand 
years  to  that  it  would  seem  ridiculous  to  the  older  ones 
present,  who  appeared  to  understand  my  embarrassment, 
so,  amid  their  good-natured  laughter,  I  compromised  by 
telling  him  that  I  was  perhaps  about  the  age  of  his  great- 
grandfather. 

The  patriarch  now  remarked  that  as  the  morrow  would 
be  Sunday  he  would  take  me  in  the  forenoon,  along  with 


150  KECIPROCITT. 

his  wife,  to  the  lecture  hall  of  the  town  mansion,  where 
he  was  to  deliver  a  discourse.  I  asked  if  I  had  not  taxed 
him  to  fatigue  during  the  past  three  days  in  taking  me 
around.     He  smiled  at  this,  and  said : 

*  Though  an  old  man  (I  am  in  my  99th  year)  I  am 
still  hale  and  hearty.  My  life  has  been  spent  in  active 
educational  work  principally  —  of  late  years  in  teaching 
history,  ethics  and  natural  philosophy.  It  is  therfore  no 
great  task  for  me  now  to  talk  for  half  an  hour  or  so  — 
a  time  long  enough  to  speak  or  be  listened  to  —  for  my 
memory  is  good  and  words  to  garb  my  thoughts  in  still 
come  at  my  desire.' 

I  was  surprised  to  learn  that  he  was  so  advanced  in 
years,  for  I  had  thought  him  to  be  not  over  75,  and  said 
so,  though  I  should  have  remembered  that  his  son  had 
just  told  me  that  he,  the  son,  was  of  retiring  age,  which 
was  65  years,  but  the  circumstance  then  had  escaped  my 
memory,  and  I  asked  if  people  generally  were  active  and 
retained  their  faculties  to  advanced  age.  He  said  in 
reply : 

'  Do  you  not  recall  the  old  people  of  the  town  farm  ? 
They  are  conspicuous,  to  be  sure,  but  only  so  because 
they  are  conspicuously  located.  There  are  several  hun- 
dred in  the  town  as  old  or  older  than  I  am,  but  who  live 
with  their  families  or  friends.  There  are  people  in  this 
and  other  towns  of  our  state  who  are  alive  and  active  at 
the  ages  of  120  to  125  years.  The  main  reason  for  this 
general  longevity  is,  a  healthy,  long-lived  stock  or  an- 
cestry —  a  good,  sound  constitution  being  the  best  heri- 
tage.    With  this  advantage  to  start  life  with,  the  things 


EECIPROCITT.  151 

needed  to  promote  longevity  are  :  nourishing  food,  active 
occupation  in  congenial  employment,  absence  of  worry 
and  struggle  for  a  living,  temperate  and  virtuous  habits, 
fortitude  in  trouble,  and  a  cheerful  inclination  to  look  on 
the  bright  side  of  life.  Under  such  favorable  conditions 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  people  live  to  100  years 
of  age,  but  rather  that  they  do  not  live  to  150  years.  Let 
me  add  that  I  am  convinced  that,  under  improved  con- 
ditions —  mainly  that  long-lived  ancestry  be  the  basis  — 
an  average  age  of  200  years  may  yet  be  the  privilege  of 
the  human  race.' 

We  soon  parted  for  the  night,  each  seeking  his  couch 
in  a  search  for  rest  and  forffetfulness.  As  for  me  this 
repose  did  not  come  at  once.  The  events  of  the  day,  the 
new  phases  of  practical  philanthropy  in  the  philosophy  of 
life  which  I  had  Avitnessed,  the  glow  of  humanity  which 
lighted  up  an  existence  that  had  not  the  poetry  of  the 
hope  of  an  immortality  to  make  it  an  abiding  faith  in  a 
life  of  disappointed  ambitions,  the  strong  convictions  o^ 
intelligent  men  of  sane  minds  and  logical  habits  of 
thought  and  action,  their  philosophic  resignation  to  the 
fate  they  deemed  to  be  inevitable  —  these  and  other  and 
perhaps  more  puzzling  thoughts  kept  sleep  at  bay  for  an 
hour  or  more.  The  fiscal  system,  as  explained  to  me  by 
the  younger  "Wellman,  but  which  I  did  not  clearly  com- 
prehend, further  excited  my  brain ;  and  it  was  only  after 
a  determined  effort  to  shake  off  these  distractions  that  I 
succeeded  in  going  to  sleep,  but  not  into  a  dreamless  one? 
for  my  fancies  in  shape  of  grotesque  figures  and  curious 
happenings  chased  after  me  in  a  tantalizing  way. 


152  RKCIPEOCITT. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  PATRiARcn's  Sunday  Sermon  —  How  Thirtieth 
Century  Houses  are  Built. 

The  morning  of  my  first  Sunday  in  this  wonderful 
town  of  the  future  was  indeed  worthy  of  its  name.  The 
air  was  balmy,  the  blue  sky  unflecked  by  cloudlets  and 
undimmed  by  haze,  for  there  was  no  smoke  of  combustion 
anywhere  to  dull  the  air.  I  arose  before  the  sun  was 
visible,  made  my  toilet  quickly  and  joined  the  family  in 
time  to  take  part  by  my  presence  in  the  usual  morning 
invocation  to  the  Sun-deity. 

The  breakfast  was,  if  anything,  more  enjoyable  than 
any  previous  one,  largely,  I  fancied,  from  the  circum- 
stance that  I  had  begun  to  feel  more  in  accord  with  my 
new  environment.  The  conversation  at  the  table  was 
cheerful,  as  usual,  and  the  anecdotes  crisp  and  amusing. 
Wit  without  a  sting  and  humor  without  malice  were  fully 
and  most  charmingly  illustrated  in  this  family  breakfast 
table  talk. 

After  the  meal  an  hour  or  two  was  passed  in  looking 
over  the  Sunday  papers,  which,  in  addition  to  the  news  of 
happenings  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  contained  many 
articles  on  subjects  of  general  interest.  They  had  been 
delivered  at  the  house  shortly  before  we  left  the  table. 
These  papers  were  really  magazines  in  form  and  makeup, 
being  in  small,  two-column  pages,  folded  and  stitched, 
with  covers  printed  in  colors.  They  were  finely  illus- 
trated.    A  feature  which  I  liked  in  them  was  that  they 


RECIPROCITY.  163 

contained  no  long  or  continued  stories,  no  blood-curdling 
accounts  of  murders,  burglaries,  assaults  or  suicides ;  no 
sensational  reports  of  scandalous  divorce  cases.  Noting 
these  and  other  omissions  of  the  Sunday  and  daily  papers 
of  the  twentieth  century,  I  began  to  wonder  if  there  were 
any  breaches  of  the  law  calling  for  action  of  the  courts 
in  this  new  era,  and  asked  Judge  Wellman  about  it.  He 
said : 

*  In  the  large  cities  there  are  still  occurrences  of  crime, 
I  regret  to  say,  but  nothing  like  what  prevailed  even  a 
hundred  years  back.  The  efforts  of  the  reform  elements 
of  society  in  the  past  800  or  900  years  have  been  aimed 
at  elimination  of  crime  by  prevention  of  propagation  of 
criminals.  This  has  been  largely  accomplished  through 
life  imprisonment  of  confirmed  criminals  and  separation 
of  the  sexes.  The  rule  in  this  respect  is  so  strict  that  in 
prisons  for  women  no  men  are  employed  or  allowed  to 
visit,  not  even  men  doctors.  Insane  people,  degenerates, 
those  with  homicidal  and  other  dangerous  manias,  thieves 
and  others  similarly  afflicted,  are  confined  for  life.  If  any 
of  these  unfortunates  should  have  had  offspring  before 
commitment,  these  children  are  cared  for  by  the  pubHc, 
and  carefully  watched  and  trained.  Should  they  develop 
the  hereditary  traits,  measures  are  taken  to  prevent 
them  from  perpetuating  the  affliction. 

'  In  this  way,  what  may  be  called  undesirable  strains 
or  breeds  of  men  have  been  largely  eliminated  from  our 
population,  and  with  their  disappearance  has  come  a  most 
remarkable  decrease  of  crime,  insanity  and  idiocy,  so  that 
these  afflictions  have  now  become  comparatively  rare. 


154  RBCIPROCITT. 

AVe  long  age  recognized  the  wisdom  of  such  precaution- 
ary measures  to  rid  society  of  undesirable  and  dangerous 
elements,  and  our  raidvvives  and  surgeons  are  careful  to 
see  that  no  malformed  or  idiotic  infants  survive,  to  be  a 
shame  and  sorrow  to  parents  and  a  burden  to  the  com- 
mune.' 

'  What  do  you  do  with  consumptives  and  persons  who 
are  afflicted  with  chronic,  incurable  or  contagious  dis- 
eases?' I  asked. 

'  If  we  should  have  contagious  cases  we  would  isolate 
them  until  recovery  or  death,  and  if  we  cannot  cure  them 
we  make  their  lives  as  bearable  and  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  The  children  of  consumptives,  if  they  have 
any,  are  carefully  looked  after.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
we  have  no  consumptives  or  others  afflicted  with  diseases 
of  a  contagious  nature  in  this  town,  and  have  not  had  for 
over  a  hundred  years.  Very  few  suffer  from  chronic  ail- 
ments, and  they  are  mostly  treated  at  the  general  hospital 
on  the  town  farm.  Our  system  of  building  up  healthy 
bodies,  promoting  correct  habits  of  life  and  good  morals 
has  proved  its  wisdom  by  the  good  results  achieved  by 
it  everywhere,'  he  replied. 

'  One  more  question,'  I  said,  '  and  this  in  regard  to 
another  of  the  peculiarities  of  your  newspapers  —  can 
you  tell  me  why  there  are  no  advertisements  of  stores 
and  the  goods  they  have  on  sale,  or  about  new  products 
and  manufactures?' 

'  I  think  1  can  explain  it  to  you,'  he  said.  '  As  stores 
are  owned  by  the  people,  they  are  supposed  to  and  do 
keep  all  kind  of  goods  called  for  or  in  use,  as  well  as  new 


EECIPROCITT.  155 

household,  personal  and  other  supplies  on  the  market, 
and  to  sell  them  at  uniform  prices,  so  there  can  be  no 
competition  or  underselling  between  them.  As  fortunes 
can  not  be  made  by  storekeepers,  who  are  only  agents  of 
the  commune  and  must  sell  at  fixed  rates  of  profit  over 
cost,  there  is  no  reason  for  them  to  advertise  their  wares 
and  induce  people  to  buy  beyond  their  wants.  Indeed 
competition  in  business  is  antagonistic  to  the  spirit  and 
practice  of  the  co-operative  system,  which  is  the  leading 
principle  of  our  modern  industrial  civilization.  In  the 
days  when  competition  ruled  even  the  people  who  patron- 
ized the  bargain  stores  had  to  pay  the  cost  of  advertising 
as  well  as  the  profit  of  the  dealer.  When  anything  in 
the  way  of  dress  goods,  household  conveniences,  novelties, 
mechanical  and  other  new  inventions  are  received  at  the 
stores  —  we  are  always  on  the  look-out  for  new  things  — 
they  are  announced  in  all  the  local  papers  as  matters  of 
news,  and  once  every  three  months  we  publish  a  list  of 
all  the  leading  articles  on  sale  in  them.  There  is  no  loss 
to  the  publishers  by  this  method,  as  they  are  employed 
by  the  commune  as  we  are.' 

'  Do  you  have  to  pay  for  the  metropolitan  papers  that 
come  to  you  daily?'  I  inquired, 

'  The  papers  of  New  York  and  Boston,'  he  said,  '  are 
supplied  at  a  nominal  price  of  about  one  dollar  a  year, 
and  each  town  subscribes  for  one  copy  for  every  family 
in  the  commune.  Each  family  is  held  to  reimburse  the 
commune  for  its  share  of  the  cost.  If  any  one  wants  to 
take  a  Montreal  or  other  Canadian  or  American  paper 
he  must  subscribe  and  pay  for  it.     For  example,  I  take  a 


156  RECIPROCITY. 

Montreal  paper  and  pay  for  it  in  advance.  It  costs  in 
this  way  two  dollars  a  year.  Our  local  publications  cost 
us  nothing  directly.' 

We  talked  of  other  things  until  the  patriarch  and  his 
wife  came  in,  greeted  us,  and  staid  a  few  minutes  to 
chat.  Then  we,  the  patriarch,  his  wife  and  I,  took  seats 
in  a  carriage,  the  other  members  of  the  family  following 
in  a  much  larger  vehicle.  The  day  was  growing  quite 
warm.  I  remarked  that  it  might  probably  be  hot  in  the 
lecture  hall,  but  the  patriarch  said,  with  a  touch  of  hu- 
mor, that  we  should  have  an  abundant  supply  of  cool  air 
♦from  above,'  via  the  underground  air  conduit.  We 
went  on  leisurely,  in  company  with  scores  of  other  vehi- 
hicles  bound  in  the  same  direction  —  the  town  mansion 
and  its  varied  attractions. 

When  we  reached  the  lecture  hall  we  found  quite  a 
large  audience  assembled,  the  spacious  auditorium  being 
comfortably  filled  with  people,  young  and  middle-aged, 
men  and  women  in  about  equal  numbers.  Seating  me 
with  his  wife  near  the  platform,  the  venerable  man  step- 
ped up  on  to  it  with  the  nimbleness  of  an  active  man  of 
middle  age.  His  address,  while  not  long,  was  delivered 
in  a  strong  yet  gentle  voice  and  impressive  manner.  He 
said,  in  substance: 

'  Neighbors  and  Friends  —  This  is  Sunday,  the  day  of 
the  Sun  —  that  glorious  luminary,  parent  of  our  earth, 
our  creator  and  sustainer,  that  showers  down  his  blessings 
upon  all  things  animate  and  inanimate ;  that  is  as  tender 
and  loving  in  his  benignity  as  he  is  terrible  in  liis  mani- 
festations of  power ;  that  is  majestic  iu  all  things ! 


RECIPROCITY.  157 

<Tt  is  fitting  tbat  we  observe  this  first  day  of  the  week, 
which  has  been  dedicated  to  the  parent  parent  luminary, 
as  a  day  of  rest  from  labor  and  of  rejoicing  in  the  great 
boon  of  conscious  existence  ;  a  time  for  thought  and  re- 
flection, and  of  opportunity  to  contemplate  our  relations 
to  one  another  and  to  the  universe. 

'There  are  two  fundamental  facts  in  nature,  as  opera- 
tive in  our  own  life  as  in  that  of  our  earth,  our  sun,  and 
the  millions  of  suns  and  worlds  that  circle  in  the  bound- 
less etherial  space  of  the  universe.  One  of  these,  a  pro- 
duct of  the  ether,  is  matter ;  the  other,  and  perhaps  a 
co-ordinate  product,  is  energy.  At  least  they  are  always 
coexistent,  conjoined.  Matter,  from  our  ephemeral  point 
of  view,  tends  to  stability,  energy  to  change.  To  the 
action  of  energy  upon  or  rather  in  matter,  and  to  the 
interaction  of  both,  all  natural  phenomena  are  due.  The 
long  physical  history  of  our  earth  has  been  one  of  con- 
tinuous change,  even  before  it  was  detached  from  the 
parent  nebula,  the  sun,  to  whose  bosom  it  will,  in  all 
probability  return,  when  in  the  process  of  re-creation  the 
parent  body  will  draw  in  its  scattered  family,  resolve  it- 
self into  nebula,  and  again  begin  the  work  of  producing 
worlds  pregnant  with  organic  life.  The  changes  in  the 
individual  history  of  our  earth  have  been  progressive, 
from  what  may  be  termed  inorganic  or  chemical  reactions 
to  organic  products;  that  is,  to  things  having  definite 
forms  and  growth  and  the  reproductive  faculty— -of 
brief  existence  and  quick  renewal  —  processes  in  which 
the  phenomenon  we  call  life  was  evolved.  These  organic 
products,  at  first  simple  in  structure,  became  in  time 


158 


RECIPROCITY. 


more  complex,  gradually  evolving  newer  and  higher 
forms  of  life — processes  of  re-creation  most  wonderful 
and  astonishing  in  themselves — until  these  advanced 
efforts  of  change  and  differentiation  culminated  in  the 
thinking  and  reasoning  animal,  man  :  a  wonder  to  himself, 
and  in  his  nascent  intellectual  state  a  creator  of  gods  or 
deities  after  his  own  image,  which  he  naturally  endowed 
with  his  own  attributes  to  an  exaggerated  degree. 

'  We  do  not  know  how  long  a  period  of  time  in  the 
world's  organic  history  elapsed  before  the  development 
of  the  faculty  of  speech  in  our  rude  ancestors  —  a  faculty 
which  must  have  been  preceded  by  that  of  reason  in  a 
crude  form.  We  can  only  guess  at  the  length  of  that 
time,  but  it  must  have  been  many  ages  after  evolution 
from  primitive  ancestors  that  man  developed  speech. 
From  the  time  of  this  achievement,  however,  man  has 
been  a  progressive  creature,  advancing  in  cunning  and 
knowledge,  until  his  mastery  over  all  other  animals  gave 
him  the  dominion  of  the  earth. 

*  This  intelligence,  this  cunning,  which  enabled  man  to 
subdue  the  lower  animals,  also,  when  it  was  possessed  in 
a  superior  degree,  enabled  some  individual  man  to  obtain 
the  mastery  over  those  of  his  own  kind  who  were  of  less 
vigor  and  of  lower  intelligence  and  cunning.  Hence  the 
one  who  possessed  the  faculty  of  controlling  others  or  of 
combining  with  others  of  a  like  capacity,  and  of  domi- 
nating even  these,  in  time  became  powerful,  and  increased 
his  power  until  it  embraced  great  numbers.  These  he 
organized  into  militant  groups,  and  with  them  conquered 
other  peoples.     In  this  way  nations  were  formed,  the 


EECIPKOCITT.  159 

conquered  peoples  being  absorbed  by  their  conquerors. 
Thus  the  ancient  nations,  from  the  nature  of  their  forma- 
tion, inherited  the  one-man  power,  as  exemplified  later 
in  the  rule  of  kings  and  emperors. 

*  The  people  toiled  while  their  rulers  schemed ;  they 
fought  and  destroyed  one  another  to  settle  the  quarrels 
or  further  the  ambitions  of  their  rulers.  But  all  this 
strife  and  domination  was  not  an  unmixed  evil.  The 
mechanic  arts  were  cultivated,  architecture,  painting, 
sculpture  and  education  were  encouraged,  and  even  hus- 
bandry was  favored  under  the  rule  of  tyrants,  while 
freedom  of  thought  developed  intelligence  in  defiance  of 
edict  and  persecution. 

*In  some  instances,  led  by  more  intelligent  men,  the 
people  revolted  against  their  oppressors  and  formed  co- 
operative governments  or  commonwealths,  in  which  the 
rulers  were  elected  by  the  people.  But  these  soon  fell 
under  the  control  of  patrician  classes,  the  common  people 
having  but  little  real  influence  in  government.  The 
power  simply  shifted  from  one  man  to  a  number  of  men ; 
from  one  great  king  to  several  smaller  ones.  These  spas- 
modic efforts  of  the  people,  while  they  usually  failed  to 
realize  what  was  desired,  were  not  without  influence  in 
preparing  men's  minds  for  more  liberal  institutions,  in 
which  the  sovereignty  of  the  peoj^le  became  more  clearly 
defined  and  recognized.  But  the  experiment  of  popular 
sovereignty,  as  you  all  know,  was  only  successful  finally 
in  its  best  sense  on  this  American  continent,  where  the 
common  people  were  not  fettered  by  traditional  customs 
and  patrician  classes,  though  for  many  years  the  country 


160  EECIPROCITT. 

afterward  struggled  industrially  under  the  rule  of  a  class 
who  accumulated  great  wealth  by  exploiting  the  natural 
resources  of  the  earth,  its  mineral  deposits  and  its  great 
forests,  as  their  own  exclusive  property,  and  therewith 
controlled  and  even  moulded  legislation  in  the  direction 
of  their  own  individual  interests  as  against  those  of  the 
masses  of  the  people. 

*  One  of  the  most  potent  influences  in  human  affairs 
was  the  phenomenon  known  as  religion,  its  priests  and 
ministers  being  important  personages  in  all  the  early 
ages  of  world  history  —  vastly  more  so  than  their  deserv- 
ing, for,  no  matter  how  earnest  and  honest  they  may 
have  been  in  believing  themselves  to  be  direct  agents  of 
higher  powers  or  intelligences,  practically  they  claimed 
and  acted  under  false  pretences.  All  the  older  religions 
had  their  origin  in  the  worship  of  nature,  and  grew  out 
of  a  natural  awe  at  the  sight  of  the  mighty  forces  evi- 
dently at  work  and  yet  inexplicable.  Not  comprehending 
these  phenomena,  they  naturally  concluded  that  the  pro- 
cesses involved  were  either  under  the  control  of  a  mighty 
power  or  were  self-moved  or  guided  by  their  own  hidden 
intelligence.  Seeing  evidences  of  life  in  all  the  powers 
and  objects  of  nature  they  proceeded  to  invest  them  with 
the  personalities  and  attributes  of  beings  of  great  potency 
and  influence.  They  saw  their  own  passions  and  con- 
ditions reflected  in  the  events  of  nature.  They  credited 
the  beings  dwelling  in  the  skies,  the  stars  or  even  in  the 
storms,  with  feelings,  emotions  and  quarrels  like  their 
own.  "When  the  destructive  powers  of  nature  were  at 
rest  they  imagined  that  these  beings  were  at  peace  among 


KECIPROCITT.  161 

themselves.  But  when  storms  prevailed,  these  beings 
were  angry  and  at  war.  Meanwhile  their  awe  at  the 
manifestations  of  more  than  human  power,  and  the  great 
mystery  of  it  all  led  them  to  give  to  these  supposed 
beings  the  place  of  gods.  To  propitiate  and  please  these 
gods,  and  avert  their  anger,  burnt  offerings  and  supplica- 
cations  were  made.  Thus  was  worship  of  the  elemental 
gods  established.  Later  these  gods  were  represented  by 
idols  innumerable  in  the  more  enlightened  early  nations, 
while  fetish  worship,  the  lowest  form  of  idolatry,  pre- 
vailed among  the  most  barbarous  peoples,  the  fetich  or 
rude  image  being  worshipped  as  a  god. 

'  Second  only  to  the  rulers  of  the  people,  whom  they 
invested  with  a  "  divine  right "  to  rule  and  oppress,  the 
priests  of  the  early  religions  were  a  most  powerful  cult, 
and  indeed  later  became,  in  some  instances,  temporal  as 
well  as  spiritual  rulers.  Their  sway,  often  both  cruel 
and  oppressive,  was  always  inimical  to  progress,  for  they 
were  satisfied  with  things  as  they  were  and  dreaded  the 
idea  of  change  that  might  unseat  them  from  the  chair  of 
power.  But  the  gods  of  the  Assyrians,  Egyptians,  Jews, 
Greeks,  Romans,  Christians  and  Mohammedans  are  no 
longer  worshipped  in  the  old,  confiding  and  abiding  faith. 
With  their  hierarchs,  their  popes,  their  priests,  and  their 
pompous,  gorgeous  ceremonies  and  symbolisms,  they  have 
passed  away  in  the  processes  of  change  or  world  develop- 
ment. Today  not  one  of  the  old  god-religions  survives. 
The  principal  one  of  the  ancient  religions  which  has  an 
influence  on  modern  ethical  thought  is  Buddhism,  though 
the  ethical  bases  of  most  religions  are  intimately  related. 


162 


RECIPROCITY. 


Divested  of  most  of  the  parasitic  absurdities  that  became 
attached  to  it  in  the  course  of  time,  the  predominent  ten- 
dency of  Buddhism  towards  intellectuality  has  reconciled 
it  to  modern  scientific  thought.  It  does  not  believe  in  a 
personal  god,  but  in  a  great  and  all-pervading  power 
beyond  the  idea  of  a  mere  personality.  The  ethics  of 
this  religion  are  simple  and  easily  practised.  It  has 
nothing  mysterious  or  superstitious  in  its  makeup.  Its 
golden  rule  is :  Stop  doing  what  is  wrong,  which  is  against 
the  reason  of  things ;  do  whatever  is  good,  which  advances 
the  course  of  reason  in  this  life,  and,  finally,  help  those 
who  are  still  behind  and  weary  of  life  to  realize  enlight- 
ment.  This  is  in  the  fullest  accord  with  the  religion  of 
intelligence  and  humanity  which  we  endeavor  to  practise 
today. 

'  One  of  the  most  powerful  and  influential  of  the  world 
religions  was  Christianity,  which  had  its  origin  in  Asia 
Minor  in  a  socialistic  movement  of  the  lower  classes  of 
the  Jewish  people,  who  chafed  under  Roman  rule,  and 
hailed  the  man  Jesus  as  their  messiah  or  deliverer.  The 
socialistic  teachings  of  this  man,  as  interpreted  by  his 
disciples,  struck  a  responsive  chord  in  the  hearts  of  the 
downtrodden  people  of  the  whole  Roman  empire,  and  it 
soon  spread  to  Greece  and  the  Mediteranean  countries  of 
Europe,  and  beyond.  In  the  beginning,  in  the  Roman 
empire  especially,  Christianity  had  an  elevating  influence 
upon  the  lower  elements  of  the  people.  It  gave  them  a 
comforting  hope  of  a  life  beyond  their  present  wretched 
existence,  where  their  wrongs  would  be  righted,  and  their 
virtues  and  sacrifices  recognized  and  rewarded.     It  was 


BECIPROCITT.  163 

a  poor  man's  religion  at  first,  and  hence  spread  widely 
and  rapidly.  It  pictured  to  the  common  people  a  com- 
passionate heavenly  father,  who,  if  he  permitted  injustice 
to  be  done  them  would,  in  his  own  good  time,  avenge 
their  wrongs  by  punishing  their  persecutors.  It  seemed 
never  to  have  occurred  to  them  that  a  god  who  had  the 
power  to  punish  injustice  ought  to  have  the  power  to 
prevent  it.  But  illogical  as  the  religion  was  in  this  and 
other  respects,  it  gave  them  a  higher  idea  of  their  own 
manhood,  which  was  most  welcome  to  them  in  their 
lowly  condition.  This  doctrine,  while  it  encouraged  for- 
titude, led  logically  to  a  wrong  estimation  of  the  real 
purpose  and  importance  of  human  life,  by  making  it 
merely  a  probationary  stage  to  an  after  existence.  In 
the  enthusiasm  of  conviction,  it  allured  to  the  belief  that, 
to  gain  the  full  rewards  of  that  life,  men  and  women 
were  justified  in  practising  self-torture  and  self-abnega- 
tion and  leading  a  miserable  existence,  which,  rightly 
directed  would  no  doubt  have  been  one  of  enjoyment,  at 
the  least.  It  makes  me  sad  to  reflect  what  misery,  what 
suffering  and  wretchedness  poor  humanity  has  been 
made  to  endure  by  following  the  teachings  of  the  priests 
of  superstition;  while  wars  incited  by  them  and  persecu- 
tions to  death  of  myriads  of  honest  men  who  refused  to 
subscribe  to  their  illogical  doctrines  or  inventions  fill  me 
with  such  loathing  and  horror  that  at  times  I  regret  ever 
having  read  the  blood-stained  pages  of  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory, the  more  so  when  I  further  reflect  that  the  men 
who  incited  those  wars  and  lighted  the  brands  of  perse- 
tion  believed  that  they  were  serving  a  merciful  god. 


164  RECIPROCITY. 

'  The  dominance  of  priestcraft  continued  for  ages, 
modified,  however,  in  its  latest  stages  by  the  growing 
intelligence  of  the  people,  which  impelled  it  to  relax  its 
hold  upon  humanity.  Then  science,  the  handmaid  of 
truth,  came  like  an  angel  of  mercy  to  the  rescue,  illumi- 
nated men's  minds  by  showing  the  absurdity  of  all  myth- 
ology, from  nature  worship,  through  paganism,  down  to 
Christism.  Science,  in  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth 
centuries  of  the  present  era,  showed  by  well  proven  facts 
and  by  clear  and  irrefutable  reasoning,  that  all  phenomena 
manifested  in  the  earth  and  in  the  universe  were  of  na- 
tural origin  and  sequence ;  that  those  of  the  earth  were 
derived  from  our  sun,  and  by  the  worlds  existing  outside 
our  system  from  other  great  dispensers  of  energy  in  the 
cosmos.  The  revolt  of  the  great  universities  against  the 
dissemination  of  theological  instruction  gave  the  final 
blow  to  priestcraft. 

*  The  old  beliefs  or  superstitions  —  notably  the  Jewish, 
which  was  a  race  religion — were,  however,  so  rooted  in 
in  the  minds  of  believers  and  so  warped  and  controlled 
their  social  life  and  habits,  that  it  required  hundreds  of 
years  of  enlightenment  to  neutralize  them.  Men  first 
ceased  to  believe,  but  the  promise  of  an  existence  beyond 
this  life,  which  common  sense  and  reason  showed  the 
utter  absurdity  of,  still  gave  the  loving  heart  of  the 
Christian  woman  the  fond  hope  of  again  seeing  the  babes 
and  other  dear  ones  taken  from  her  by  death  —  this  hope 
still  held  women  in  the  faith  and  delayed  the  final  ex- 
tinction of  the  superstition;  and  it  was  only  after  the 
rationalist  elements  of  society  obtained  control  of  the 


BKCIPROCITT.  165 

training  and  education  of  the  young  that  satisfactory 
progress  was  made  towards  the  emancipation  of  humanity 
from  the  thraldom  of  this  extravagance  of  religion. 

*This  came  slowly  and  through  the  gradual  enlighten- 
ment of  the  people,  and  it  was  not  until  three  hundred 
years  ago  that  the  change  was  finally  wrought  in  these 
American  states  and  Canada,  and  men  and  women  be- 
came rational  beings.  Then  they  took  charge  of  their 
own  spiritual  or  rather  mental  affairs,  and  instead  of 
abandoning  the  enjoyment  of  the  life  in  their  possession 
for  one  beyond  their  reach,  a  mythical  heaven,  they  at 
once  established  a  practical  heaven  here  on  earth,  where 
they  can  enjoy  life  according  to  their  capacity  for  such 
enjoyment,  where  love  and  justice  rule,  where  all  men 
and  women  are  equal,  where  universal  brotherhood  is  not 
merely  a  figure  of  speech  but  an  actual  truth,  and  where 
people  are  happiest  in  doing  good  and  in  making  others 
happier.  The  Christians  worshipped  in  Jesus  the  ideal 
man.  We  aim  to  make  the  actual  man  as  near  to  the 
ideal  one  as  conduct  and  character  can  produce. 

'  Let  me  say,  in  conclusion,  that  the  industrial  develop- 
ment of  the  world  was  retarded  for  ages  because  the  same 
spirit  which  dominated  in  spiritual  affairs  governed  the 
enterprises  which  employed  the  people —  selfishness.  It 
gave  riches  and  fame  to  the  few,  while  the  masses  toiled 
and  sweated  under  the  burden  of  unfairly  requited  labor. 
In  the  twentieth  century,  however,  due  in  a  large  degree 
to  scientific  progress  and  the  growing  intelligence  of  the 
people,  the  industrial  classes  of  Europe  and  North  Am- 
erica combined  and  co-operated  until,  by  persistent  action, 


166  EECIPKOCITY. 

they  practically  emancipated  themselves  from  bondage 
to  the  capitalist  classes.  They  accom})lished  this  through 
political  aa  well  as  industrial  combination,  and  then,  hav- 
ing obtained  legislative  su})remacy,  at  first  placed  the 
minor  public  utilities  under  public  control  and  then  the 
major  ones.  These  included  all  the  industries.  Then, 
in  the  course  of  progress,  the  form  of  public  control  was 
changed  to  public  ownership,  the  interstate  and  interna- 
tional systems  of  transportation  being  acquired  by  the 
general  government,  while  local  utilities,  industries  and 
and  realties  were  acquired  by  the  states  and  municipali- 
ties for  the  people,  to  be  owned  and  operated  in  their 
interest  and  behalf.  In  this  way  there  was  secured  to 
all  the  people  employment  in  the  various  occupations  at 
remunerative  rates,  which  enabled,  still  enables  and  will 
continue  to  enable  the  people  to  pursue  and  enjoy  happi- 
ness along:  lines  and  in  a  wav  that  their  forefathers  of 
eight  or  nine  hundred  years  back  may  have  struggled 
and  hoped  for  but  never  fully  realized.' 

Having  concluded  his  discourse,  the  patriarch  bowed 
acknowledgment  of  the  applause  of  the  audience,  and 
with  his  wife  and  I  left  the  hall.  When  outside  he  asked 
if  I  would  like  to  visit  the  concert  hall,  theatre,  or  any 
of  the  other  places  of  amusement.  I  said  I  would  prefer 
to  take  a  ride  around  the  town,  as  I  contemplated  going 
back  to  the  city  on  the  morrow.  His  good  wife  agreed 
to  accompany  us.  By  this  time  the  cool  wind  from  the 
White  Mountains  had  tempered  the  heat  of  the  day  and 
made  riding  on  the  excellent  roads,  amid  enchanting  sce- 
nery, a  great  enjoyment  for  the  stranger.     We  chatted 


EECIPEOCITT.  167 

about  various  matters  suggested  by  the  lecture,  and  the 
patriarch  said: 

'The  subject  was  a  broad  one,  and  my  discourse  was, 
as  you  no  doubt  noted,  simply  a  running  commentary  on 
all  the  matters  treated.' 

'  You  will  pardon  me,'  I  said,  '  for  thinking  that  in  the 
treatment  of  the  subject  of  religion  you  were  rather  se- 
vere and  even  unjust  in  your  comments  on  the  agency  of 
priests  and  ministers.  I  have  known  many  good,  consci- 
entious and  even  liberal-minded  men  in  the  profession, 
whose  labors  for  the  good  of  society  were  most  marked 
and  beneficial  among  peoples  needing  moral  stimulus.  It 
is  true  that  they  may  have  been  conservative,  as  was 
perhaps  natural  with  men  who  aimed  to  do  good  in  the 
way  they  were  trained  to  do,  and  their  devotion  to  what 
they  believed  to  be  a  most  sacred  calling,  in  which  they 
inculcated  charity,  truth,  righteousness,  justice,  temper- 
ance and  virtue,  had  a  most  important  influence  in  making 
people  better  and  thus  improving  society.' 

'What  you  say  is  no  doubt  true  in  regard  to  ministers 
of  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  centuries,'  said  the  old 
man,  'but  my  retrospect  embraced  periods  in  ecclesiasti- 
cal history  when  arrogance  and  intolerance  characterized 
the  Christian  church  and  its  ministers;  when  the  priests 
who  preached  forgiveness  were  implacable  against  all 
doubters ;  serving  a  god  of  love  they  dealt  out  hate  to 
their  kind;  a  god  of  mercy,  and  they  showed  no  mercy 
to  those  under  the  ban  of  the  church's  displeasure.  Do 
you  think  I  was  unjust  or  too  severe  with  people  who 
tortured  to  death  and  massacred  fellow  beings  simply  for 


168  RECIPROCITY. 

difference  of  opinion?  I  know  it  may  appear  unjust  to 
even  seem  to  condemn  a  class  of  good  and  tolerant  men 
for  acts  of  intolerance  of  their  predecessors.  Doubtless 
they  reflected  the  spirit  of  the  civilization  of  their  age 
rather  than  that  of  "peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to 
men,"  which  seems  have  been  realized  after  the  demise 
of  ecclesiasticism.  I  can  not  therefore  modify  the  views 
expressed  though  they  may  seem  unjust  to  the  good  men 
you  have  known,  and  who  no  doubt  by  their  liberal  views 
and  teachings  contributed  in  no  small  measure  to  the 
eventual  realization  of  civilization's  grandest  triumph, 
the  brotherhood  of  man.' 

'  You  spoke  of  Buddhism  as  the  only  one  of  the  more 
ancient  forms  of  religion  that  survives  at  this  time,'  I 
remarked. 

'  I  did  not  mean  or  say  that  it  survived  as  a  religion, 
in  its  early  Indian  form,  with  its  doctrine  of  Nirvana, 
which,  however,  if  it  means  that  when  life  is  ended  we 
cease  to  exist,  it  is  not  in  conflict  with  our  own  concep- 
tion of  the  end  of  human  life.  Buddhism  as  we  know 
it  is  a  form  of  moral  philosophy  rather  than  of  worship 
—  essentially  an  ethical  cult,  if  such  it  can  be  called. 
The  Buddhist  conception  of  the  deity  is  vastly  broader 
than  was  the  most  advanced  idea  of  the  Christian  god, 
which  was  the  Jehovah  of  the  Jews ;  a  despotic  person- 
age, of  militant  disposition  and  easily  moved  to  anger. 
To  the  Buddhist  the  deity  is  above  and  beyond  the  idea 
of  personality  —  is  an  all-j^ervading  power,  has  no  sex, 
and  compasses  and  comprehends  all  that  has  been,  is,  and 
will  be.     The  Buddhists  believe  that  all  things  in  nature 


RECIPEOCITY.  169 

come  from  the  same  ultimate  source,  which  is  all-power- 
ful, embraces  all  knowledge  and  all  beneficence.  They 
do  not  believe  in  original  sin,  but  acknowledge  the  exist- 
ence of  ignorance,  and  insist  upon  its  total  removal  as 
the  surest  means  to  the  regeneration  of  the  human  race. 
In  these  and  other  common-sense  matters  we  are  in  full 
accord  with  them.' 

'  Are  there  Buddhist  churches  in  this  country  ?'  I  asked. 

'  No,'  he  replied.  '  We  have  no  churches  for  worship. 
Our  schools  have  supplanted  them  as  teachers  of  ethics. 
The  principles  of  that  philosophy  permeate  our  daily  life 
and  all  our  institutions.  With  the  superstitious  forms 
and  ceremonies  which  may  have  crept  into  Buddhism  in 
its  life  history  we  have  nothing  to  do.' 

'Are  there  not  sects  among  Buddhists  as  there  were 
among  Christians?'  I  queried. 

'In  one  sense,  yes,'  he  replied.  'In  many  non-essen- 
tials men  do  not  all  agree,  and  in  that  sense  there  may 
be  sects.  There  is  no  rivalry  or  jealousy  among  them. 
They  agree  to  disagree.' 

'  Have  the  descendants  of  Jews  and  Christians  retained 
any  of  their  old  religious  rites  and  ceremonies?'  I  asked. 

'  Yes,'  he  said.  '  Some  of  them  practise  some  of  the 
simplest  of  the  rites  in  their  homes,  I  believe,  showing 
the  truth  of  the  adage  that  superstition  dies  hard.  These 
ceremonies  are  regarded  with  curiosity  rather  than  with 
the  old  time  fervor.  They  prevail  mostly  among  Jewish 
descendants.' 

'  The  Jews  are  a  tenacious  people.  They  have  been 
subject  to  persecution  everywhere,'  I  remarked. 


170  KECIPROCTTT. 

'  Except  in  the  United  States,  you  might  have  added, 
and  with  perhaps  more  reason  than  humanitarians  would 
desire  to  admit.  In  the  first  place  they  were  the  most 
conceited  race  on  earth,  believing  themselves  to  be  the 
chosen  people  of  God.  This  preposterous  conceit  made 
them  exclusive,  deeming  themselves  superior  to  all  other 
races.  They  were  further  confirmed  in  their  conceit  by 
the  fact  that  the  sect  of  Christians,  which  originated 
among  them,  adopted  their  Bible  and  their  God.  The 
Jews  persecuted  the  early  Christians  and  incited  their 
Roman  masters  against  them.  For  this  and  for  their 
racial  conceit  and  exclusiveness,  the  Christians,  when 
broader  and  more  humanitarian  philosophy  gave  them  the 
world  power,  so  to  speak,  in  turn  perscuted  that  ultra- 
conceited  people  whom  they  also  hated  with  a  most  un- 
christian hatred.  But  in  the  last  two  centuries,  when  the 
bonds  of  racial  and  religious  exclusiveness  have  been  cast 
off  and  the  descendants  of  Abraham  have  mingled  their 
blood  with  that  of  the  Gentile,  there  has  been  a  wonder- 
ful change,  and  there  is  now  little  or  no  Jewish  racial 
conceit  and  exclusiveness,'  said  the  patriarch. 

'  Has  legislation  had  anything  to  do  in  the  decadence 
of  the  old  religions  ? '  I  inquired. 

'  Nothing  whatever,'  he  said.  '  The  intelligence  of  the 
people,  which  had  made  them  thoughtful,  and  the  moral 
courage  which  came  vsdth  conviction,  mainly  contributed 
to  the  result.  It  was  simply  a  matter  of  evolution,  as 
inevitable  as  it  was  logical,  and  is  no  doubt  a  prelude  to 
other  changes-' 

'In  your  lecture,  Mr.  Wellman,  you  said  that  it  was 


EKCIPROCITT.  171 

only  after  rationalists  had  assximed  control  of  the  educa- 
tion of  the  young  that  the  world  was  emancipated  from 
Christian  superstition,  and  that  this  change  came  slowly 
through  the  gradual  enlightenment  of  the  people.  Were 
the  people  not  enlightened  before  that?' 

*They  were,  in  a  great  measure,  but  not  to  the  extent 
of  taking  upon  themselves  the  responsibility  of  condemn- 
ing the  creeds  which  they  had  ceased  to  believe  and  were 
no  longer  matters  of  faith.  This  sequentially  led  to  the 
changes  which  followed.  The  Bible  story  of  the  creation, 
the  birth  of  Eve,  the  fall  of  Adam  and  the  consquences 
thereof  to  the  human  race,  one  of  the  most  dreaded  being 
death  —  as  if  death  were  not  as  necessary  to  progress 
as  birth,  and  quite  as  natural  —  were  regarded  as  fables 
hundreds  of  years  before  the  final  decadence  of  Christian 
theology ;  but  the  churches  clung  to  them,  and  with  their 
scheme  of  salvation  (saving  from  what  ?)  made  the  sacri- 
fice of  one  human  life  the  key  to  the  redemption  of  the 
human  race  —  not  from  superstition,  certainly,  which  they 
did  so  much  to  perpetuate.' 

'  But  if  Christianity  was  based  on  fable,'  I  persisted, 
'  is  it  not  strange  that  many  thousands  of  the  brightest 
minds  of  the  ages  honestly  believed  in  and  advocated  it, 
and  even  sacrificed  their  lives  for  it?' 

'No.  Other  religions,  no  more  illogical  and  absurd 
than  Christianity,  which  existed  longer  than  it  did,  had 
their  intelligent  believers,  advocates  and  even  martjTS, 
for  honest  and  sincere  men  of  all  opinions  in  every  age 
have  been  willing  to  and  actually  have  suffered  death  for 
their  convictions.     That  proves  nothing  more  than  the 


172  RECIPROCITY. 

sincerity  and  heroism  of  the  sufferers  —  not,  at  least,  the 
truth  of  the  conflicting  beliefs  for  which  they  were  sacri- 
ficed. All  the  old  religions  had  their  uses  in  the  evolu- 
tion of  human  society,  or  at  least  they  exerted  a  potential 
influence  on  the  affairs  of  nations,  whether  for  good  or 
evil  is  a  matter  of  opinion.' 

'  But,'  I  said,  '  surely  a  religion  that  existed  as  long  as 
Christianity  did  must  have  had  more  than  fable  to  sup- 
port it.' 

'  The  moral  basis  of  it,'  he  replied, '  is  as  old  as  human 
civilization,  even  older,  for  it  must  have  existed  during 
barbarism  in  some  degree.  The  fabulous  feature  was, 
however,  the  most  fascinating  to  the  imaginative  mind 
of  the  ignorant  masses,  who  would  be  more  inclined  to 
accept  the  marvellous  than  the  tamer  truth.  Take  the 
doctrine  of  "  original  sin,"  for  example.  According  to 
the  Mosaic  account,  the  woman  Eve  was  created  in  a 
most  impossible  manner,  to  be  a  companion  to  her  father 
Adam,  his  wife,  in  fact.  Indeed  he  was  both  her  father 
and  her  mother.  As  male  and  female  they  were  like 
other  animals,  endowed  with  organs  of  generation,  and 
yet,  because  they  exercised  this  function,  which  we  know 
was  the  leading  one  in  procreative  nature,  this  pair  of 
"immortals"  were  condemned  to  death  and  their  poster- 
ity after  them.  The  flimsy  reason  given  for  this  sentence 
was  that,  tempted  b}''  a  serpent,  the  woman  ate  and  per- 
suaded the  man  to  eat  the  fruit  of  "  the  tree  of  know- 
ledge," whatever  that  allegorical  edible  may  have  been. 
Who  but  people  who  accepted  such  an  illogical  doctrine 
and  were  deterred  from  questioning  it  by  threat  of  the 


RKCIPROCITY.  173 

dire  fate  of  all  unbelievers,  would  accpt  such  a  story  ? 

'  The  first  human  pair,  we  are  told,  were  created  im- 
mortals, the  very  idea  of  which  would  be  absurd  to  the 
merest  tyro  in  scientific  inquiry,  for  the  most  pervasive 
principle  in  nature  is  what  we  call  the  law  of  change,  and 
the  inventor  of  Genesis  must  therefore  have  been  ignor- 
ant of  this  fact.  It  seems  incredible  that  fables  like  this 
were  taught  as  doctrines,  or  that  such  utter  absurdities 
could  find  believers  and  even  advocates. 

'Coupled  with  this  was  the  doctrine  of  Immortality  of 
the  soul  or  spirit  of  man  —  a  doctrine  which  originated 
in  the  dreams  of  our  rude  progenitors,  in  which  memory 
recalled  dead  friends,  whose  forms  appeared  as  if  still 
in  the  enjoymet  of  life.  Looked  at  from  a  rational  point 
of  view,  the  human  race  is  as  immortal,  if  immortality 
is  continuance  for  an  indefinite  time,  as  the  earth  itself, 
of  which  man  is  an  offspring.  But  immortality  of  the 
race  and  immortality  of  the  individual  are  two  very  dif- 
ferent propositions.  The  life  that  is  transmitted  through 
parents  is  not  difficult  to  comprehend.  But  the  idea  of 
an  individual  spirit  or  soul  existing  after  the  organism 
which  gave  it  birth, sustained  and  developed  it  had  ceased 
to  exist,  is  simply  an  illogical,  absurd  proposition. 

*Can  you  conceive  of  a  soul  or  spirit — the  mind,  in 
fact  —  which  is  the  endowment  of  a  human  organism, 
the  expression  of  that  organism  indeed,  taking  flight  at 
the  dissolution  of  the  body  and  still  exercising  certain 
functions  of  that  body  in  some  place  as  shadowy  as  itself, 
a  heaven  or  a  hell,  with  all  the  accessories  of  either  place 
to  make  it  happy  or  to  torture  it,  "for  all  eternity?" 


174  KBCIPROCITT. 

» There  never  was  a  human  intelligence  which  was  not 
based  upon  a  physical  organism  built  up  and  maintained 
by  the  destruction  and  absorption  of  other  organisms 
employed  as  food.  You  never  heard  a  human  voice  that 
did  not  come  directly  or  indirectly  from  the  action  of  the 
lungs,  vocal  chords,  mouth  and  tongue  of  a  living  human 
being.  How  can  a  soul  or  spirit  hear  or  see  without  ears 
and  eyes?  feel  without  a  nervous  system?  walk  without 
legs  and  feet  ?  think  or  remember  without  a  brain  ?  In 
fact,  in  this  world  of  organic  growth  and  change,  can  a 
spirit  or  soul  exist  without  a  physical  organism  and  sub- 
ject to  all  the  requirements  and  needs  of  such  a  human 
organism? 

'  The  Christian  plan  or  scheme  of  salvation,  also,  would 
seem  to  have  been  unnecessary  as  well  as  illogical.  The 
consequence  of  the  "  sin  "  of  Adam  was  said  to  be  death, 
but  death  is  a  natural  process  in  the  renewal  of  life,  in 
the  immortality  of  succession.  There  needed  no  resur- 
rection of  the  dead  body  to  insure  this.  Therefore  the 
doctrine  of  "the  atonement"  through  the  vicarious  death 
of  a  Savior  was  unnecessary,  and  seems  to  have  been 
invented  to  fit  the  Mosaic  story  of  the  creation  and  "the 
fall  of  man  "  from  a  high  estate  to  that  of  common  mor- 
tality. The  latter  hypothesis  was  amply  disproven  by 
eminent  scientists  of  the  nineteenth  century  —  notably 
by  the  investigations  of  Charles  Darwin,  the  great  Eng- 
lish naturalist,  as  shown  in  his  "  Origin  of  Species  "  and 
"  Descent  of  Man  "  —  who  showed  that  man,  instead  of 
being  descended  from  a  godlike  Adam  and  Eve,  came 
down    through  a  series    of   lower  organic  forms,   and 


BBCLPKOCITT.  175 

developed  finally  from  a  strain  of  anthropoids.  Thus,  by 
scientific  inquiry  and  common  sense,  were  the  founda- 
tions of  Christian  dogmas  undermined ;  but  when  this 
became  evident  it  was  also  realized  that  these  dogmas 
were  not  essential  to  the  true  religion  of  humanity,  which 
had  already  pervaded  the  practical  life  of  the  churches, 
and  which  made  the  final  transition  to  the  humanitarian 
religion  of  our  time  an  easy  and  natural  one.' 

'  In  regard  to  the  changes  from  private  to  public  own- 
ership of  the  lands,  industries  and  utilities,'  I  said, '  were 
those  changes  attended  with  much  friction,  rioting  or 
bloodshed?' 

'  No,'  he  replied,  '  but  there  was  agitation  and  strenu- 
ous political  effort.  The  successive  changes  were  brought 
about  by  peaceful  legislation  from  time  to  time.  A  people 
who  would,  under  a  liberal  form  of  popular  government, 
resort  to  revolution  and  bloodshed  to  accomplish  their 
ends  would  not  be  well  conditioned  to  settle  down  to 
a  life  of  peaceful  co-operation  such  as  we  now  enjoy. 
No ;  though  there  were  demagogues  who  sought  to  fo- 
ment class  hatred,  the  good  common  sense  of  the  people 
rejected  their  counsels  and  the  reforms  desired  were 
accomplished  in  a  peaceful,  equitable  way.' 

'Are  there  any  wars  .between  nations  or  peoples  now? 
I  asked. 

'  No ;  for  the  good  reason  that  there  is  nothing  to 
quarrel  about  or  fight  for  which  cannot  be  settled  by  the 
world  congress  of  the  nations.  Every  nation  owns  its 
territory,  or  rather  the  people  in  their  corporate  or  co- 
operative capacity  own  it  as  well  as  all  the  industries  and 


176  EBCIPEOCITY. 

other  utilities  pertaining  to  it.  They  are  satisfied  with 
what  they  have  and  do  not  covet  the  lands  and  indus- 
trial assets  of  their  neighbors.  This  applies  to  nations 
as  well  as  to  communes,  and  being  the  case  there  is  not 
anything  in  this  direction  to  quarrel  about.  In  inter- 
course between  peoples  and  nations  there  sometimes  may 
occur  misunderstandings  or  clashing  of  interests  in  mat- 
ters of  trade,  but  where  both  parties  are  desirous  only  of 
justice  being  done  such  troubles  can  be  and  usually  are 
easily  settled,'  he  said. 

'  Has  the  world's  congress  the  physical  power  to  make 
its  decrees  operative?'  I  asked. 

'It  has  what  is  much  better  and  more  effective,  because 
it  is  not  physical.  That  is,  the  moral  power,  backed  by 
the  best  opinion  and  best  conscience  of  mankind.  Be- 
sides, in  this  age  of  general  individuality,  when  every 
man  owns  himself,  there  are  no  leaders,  and  there  is 
none  who  would  attempt  to  or  could  persuade  men  to 
resort  to  violence  when  common  sense  and  a  desire  for 
simple  justice  could  and  should  settle  any  controversy. 
No,  no! '  said  the  patriarch,  emphatically,  'man  has  out- 
grown his  militant  moods,  and  finds  more  satisfaction  in 
doing  right  than  in  upholding  wrong,  thus  avoiding  the 
causes  of  contentions  and  strife.  It  is  very  simple  and 
very  pleasant  to  do  right,  and  when  all  men  adopt  this 
rule  and  live  up  to  it  they  have  acquired  the  best  philo- 
sophy of  life.' 

I  could  but  agree  with  him  as  to  the  wisdom  of  such 
practices,  but  it  seemed  almost  too  ideal  for  human  na- 
ture as  I  had  known  it.     Yet  when   I  considered  the 


T?ECIPKOCITT.  177 

centuries  of  commonsense  treatment  of  the  young,  the 
careful  training  and  practical  moral  teaching  which  I 
had  seen  so  pleasantly  exemplified  in  the  schools,  I  had 
to  admit  to  myself  that  such  results  were  not  improbable. 
Given  a  normal  brain  in  a  healthy  body,  under  favoring 
conditions  of  life,  I  thought,  the  possibility  of  producing 
the  approximately  perfect  man  seemed  quite  reasonable. 
But  I  could  not  quite  grasp  the  thought  that  men  had 
abandoned  all  belligerent  habits,  and  asked : 

'Have  the  nations  no  navies,  armies  or  militia?' 

*No.  They  have  no  use  for  them.  Men  now  cannot 
be  persuaded  or  coerced  into  forming  combinations  the 
ultimate  purpose  of  which  is  the  murder  and  subversion 
of  their  fellow  creatures.  This  most  revolting  system  of 
our  early  civilization,  often  the  result  of  commercial 
competition  between  nations,  has  vanished  with  the  ad- 
vent of  the  co-operative  system.  Competition  in  trade, 
the  mother  of  corruption  and  dishonesty  the  world  over, 
is  dead  beyond  resurrection,  and  the  world  rejoices  in  a 
new  industrial  and  social  birth.' 

I  was  satisfied  with  the  answer,  and  pursued  my  inqui- 
ries no  further.  We  were  in  a  thinly  settled  section  of 
the  town,  that  is,  a  section  of  small  farms,  when  the  patri- 
arch said: 

'By  the  way,  Mr.  Wonder,  I  promised  to  let  you  see 
something  of  our  methods  of  house-building  by  showing 
you  a  house  in  course  of  construction,  but  did  not  have 
an  opportunity  of  doing  so  when  we  last  went  around. 
We  are  now  coming  to  one  partly  built,  where  you  can 
see  our  method  of  construction  sufficiently  illustrated  for 


178  RBCIPROCITY. 

a  clear  comprehension  of  it.  It  is,  as  you  see,  a  composite 
structure,  being  of  wood  and  concrete.  I  may  tell  you 
that  hollow  concrete  blocks  are  sometimes  employed  in 
more  expensive  buildings,  but  concrete  embracing  a 
wooden  frame  is  now  and  for  many  years  has  been  most 
in  vogue.  Iron  and  steel  reinforced  structures  were  at 
one  time  all  the  fashion  ;  they  are  things  of  the  past,  and 
would  be  impossible  now  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of 
iron ;  but  steel  would  not  be  chosen  today  because,  even 
at  lower  cost,  it  is  not  desirable.  In  the  older  structures 
where  it  was  used  to  strengthen  stone  and  brick  work, 
the  electrolytic  action  of  electric  ground  currents,  under 
the  old  trolley  system,  in  time  impaired  and  even  des- 
troyed their  value  as  masonry  supports.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  concrete  houses  with  wooden  frames  have 
stood  for  over  eight  hundred  years,  and  show  no  signs 
of  decay  or  weakness,  the  concrete  preserving  the  wood 
in  a  perfect  way.' 

'  But  how  is  the  concrete  combined  with  the  wood  so 
that  when  mutual  shrinkage  occurs  after  drying,  spaces 
are  not  left  between  them  ? '  I  queried. 

*  Such  spaces,'  he  said,  '  are  almost  entirely  avoided  by 
preparation  of  the  wood  before  use  in  the  house  frame. 
In  the  framing  factory  or  mill  —  which  I  did  not  have 
the  time  to  show  you  —  the  timbers  of  house-frames  are 
prepared  to  exact  measure  and  adjustment.  They  are 
then  seasoned  by  a  process  of  sun-drying  under  glass, 
after  which  they  are  put  into  a  bath  of  silicate  of  soda  or 
potash,  which  completely  fills  the  pores  of  the  wood. 
The  lumber  is  then  ready  for  the  builder's  use.' 


RECIPEOCITY.  179 

"We  now  alighted  at  a  partly  constructed  building.  It 
was  being  erected  on  a  side  hill,  around  which  the  road 
was  terraced,  and  the  cellar  had  been  blasted  in  the 
outcrop  of  a  ledge.  The  rock  taken  out,  a  talcose  slate, 
was  used  in  large  pieces  with  cement  to  make  the  cellar 
wall,  which  was  about  two  feet  in  thickness.  The  scant- 
ling in  the  wall  was  first  used  to  contain  the  plates  of  the 
inside  wall  box,  which  were  nailed  on  to  them,  the  outer 
plates  being  held  inside  of  uprights,  plank  after  plank 
being  added  as  the  wall  progressed  upwards.  The  frame 
pieces  rested  on  their  ends  on  the  levelled  cellar  wall, 
no  sills  being  used  or  needed.  The  remaining  stone  from 
the  the  cellar  excavation  was  used  in  the  walls,  having 
been  crushed  and  combined  with  cement  and  sand  in  the 
huge  rotary  mixer,  the  resulting  mass  being  turned  into 
the  wall  boxes  and  tamped  solidly  in.  Door  and  window 
frames  to  fit  the  walls  and  properly  braced  were  placed 
in  position  in  the  wall  boxes.  The  floor  and  roof  timbers 
were  assembled  with  the  other  parts  of  the  frame,  and 
as  their  ends  were  embraced  in  the  concrete  they  became 
attached  to  it.  The  outside  walls  were  15  inches  in 
thickness.  The  upright  timbers  being  2  by  5  inches, 
left  a  solid  concrete  wall  of  10  inches  on  the  outside. 

"When  the  walls  were  run  up  to  the  required  height 
and  the  concrete  given  time  to  '  set,' the  walls  were  strip- 
ped of  the  mould  boards,  furring  was  nailed  on  on  the 
inside,  metal  lathing  fastened  to  this,  plastering  laid  on, 
and  finish  of  any  kind  desired  applied.  The  floors  had 
strong  3  by  12  timbers,  which  supported  a  concrete  floor- 
ing of  about  3  inches  in  thickness  laid  on  woven  metal 


180  RECIPROCITY. 

wire.  The  roof  was  flat  and  was  also  composed  of  wired 
concrete,  like  the  floors.  It  had  a  pitch  of  about  12  inches 
to  one  of  the  rear  corners.  On  asking  the  reason  of  this 
I  was  told  that  as  the  rainwater  would  flow  in  that  direc- 
tion, it  being  prevented  from  flowing  off  at  other  parts 
by  a  slight  ridge,  it  could  be  discharged  down  into  an 
underground  cistern.  The  interior  partition  walls  were 
of  concrete  laid  on  to  wire,  and  at  or  near  the  centre  was 
a  group  of  concrete  tubes,  for  ventilating  the  different 
rooms.  These  were  carried  up  through  the  roof  in  a 
sort  of  chimney  stack,  I  was  told,  an  ingeniously  con- 
trived exhaust  fan,  operated  by  the  air,  surmounting  the 
whole.  This  was  combined  with  a  small  structure  con- 
taining a  roof  outlet  reached  by  a  stairway. 

When  the  concrete  walls  were  built,  the  work  of  fin- 
ishing the  outside  was  done.  All  irregularities  of  surface 
were  troweled  out  and  a  smooth  surface  secured.  Then, 
after  the  wall  had  sufficiently  hardened,  the  surface  finish 
was  applied.  It  was  composed  of  silicates  in  solution 
colored  to  the  shade  desired.  It  was  put  on  with  a  brush, 
like  paint,  and  when  it  dried  the  wall  resembled  polished 
stone.  It  rendered  the  walls  impervious  to  moisture. 
The  roof  was  finished  with  a  like  compound,  and  had  to 
be  repainted  about  once  in  twenty  years. 

After  leaving  the  new  building  we  circled  around  to 
other  sections  of  the  town,  and  I  enjoyed  the  splendid 
scenery  every  moment  of  the  time.  The  schools  were 
not,  of  course,  in  session,  but  in  the  village  settlements 
the  children  were  in  the  open  air  enjoying  themselves, 
the  girls  exercising  with  skipping  ropes  or  swings,  and 


KECIPEOCITT.  181 

the  boys  at  their  little  games,  or  in  the  groves  sporting 
under  the  shady  trees  —  delightful  sylvan  pictures  they 
presented  to  our  view. 

'  How  happy  they  all  seem,'  said  the  matron,  smiling. 
*  They  remind  me  of  my  youth  and  the  joyous  freshness 
of  existence  when  I  was  young.  It  is  the  happiest  sea- 
son of  life,  and  its  scenes  and  pleasures  are  among  our 
most  precious  memories.  I  do  not,  however,  regret  that 
I  am  now  old,  for  I  have  enjoyed  every  year  of  my  life, 
but,  if  the  wish  were  not  absurd,  I  should  like  once  more 
to  taste  the  rapture  of  early  existence,  with  its  exuberant 
spirits  and  almost  boundless  capacity  for  enjoyment.' 

<  It  is  worth  having  lived  for,  that  at  our  age  we  can 
appreciate  the  enjoyments  of  these  children,'  said  the 
patriarch,  'and  share  again,  in  fancy,  their  sports,  plays 
and  other  rapturous  frolics.  It  is  a  privilege  we  can  all 
enjoy  if  we  can  attune  our  minds  to  it.' 

*  But  I  do  not  hear  any  church  bells,'  I  said,  as  if  re- 
calling a  memory. 

'  No,'  said  the  patriarch, '  we  have  got  rid  of  that  relic 
as  well  as  many  others  of  the  old  churchgoing  days,  in- 
cluding steam  whistles  on  railways.  They  were  of  the 
ages  of  strife  and  unhappiness,  when  their  noise  was  in 
keeping  with  the  discordant  life  of  the  people.  "We  do 
not  need  or  use  them  in  this  age,  and  are,  indeed,  better 
without  them.' 

I  spoke  of  my  return  to  Boston  on  the  morrow. 

'You  will  be  surprised,'  said  the  patriarch,  'at  the 
changes  which  have  been  wrought  in  that  city  in  the  last 
ten  centuries.     That  you  will  know  it  again  I  doubt. 


182  RECIPROCTTT. 

The  only  places  unchanged  to  any  extent  in  old  Boston 
are  the  parks,  common  and  public  garden.  After  cross- 
ing the  New  Hampshire  line  you  are  in  the  suburbs  of 
that  city,  which  has  now  a  population  of  ten  millions  and 
covers  a  territory  within  a  radius  of  thirty  miles  from 
the  State  House.  New  York  City  has  about  thirty  mil- 
lions of  people.  Boston  has  subways  under  most  of  its 
streets,  its  surface  ways  are  used  only  for  light  traffic  and 
pleasure  travel  in  road  carriages,  the  subways  being  for 
rapid  transit  along,  across  and  around  the  city,  and  for 
through  transportation  of  heavy  freight  and  express  mat- 
ter. There  are  no  surface  trolley  roads,  the  passenger 
service  on  the  surface  —  which  is  carried  on  only  in  the 
outlying  sections  —  being  in  trackless  cars  operated  by 
compressed  air.  Since  the  earthquake,  some  six  hundred 
years  ago,  the  tall  structures  then  partly  destroyed  have 
been  replaced  largely  by  buildings  of  lower  altitude,  com- 
posed of  metal  frames  and  opaque  wire  glass  panels. 
The  metal  is  steel,  mixed  with  a  percentage  of  aluminum, 
which  enables  it  to  resist  oxidation  without  materially 
reducing  its  strength.  In  this  way  the  ten  story  succes- 
sors of  the  old  twenty  and  thirty  story  buildings  give  to 
the  original  section  of  the  city  a  better  uniformity. 

'  The  spreading  out  of  the  city  has  given  more  room 
for  the  people  and  better  sanitary  conditions.  Instead 
of  being  crowded  into  small  tenements,  the  working 
people  have  separate  cottages  to  live  in,  rear  up  their 
their  families,  and  with  enough  land  attached  to  each  to 
cultivate  flowers,  vegetables  and  fruits;  where,  in  fact, 
they  have  homes  for  life  in  healthy  surroundings.     The 


KECIPROCITY.  183 

larger  buildings,  the  upper  stories  of  which  are  not  used 
for  stores  and  offices,  or  for  storage  of  bulky  merchandise, 
are  occupied  by  the  families  of  business  men  who  prefer 
to  live  near  their  places  of  business.  Their  homes  are 
very  comfortable  and  healthy,  as  they  occupy  only  the 
upper  stories,  where  there  is  good  air  and  plenty  of  sun- 
shine. They  also  cultivate  small  flower  gardens  on  the 
roofs.  City  life  is  now  far  different  and  more  tolerable 
than  it  was  six  hundred  years  ago.' 

•Are  the  people  of  Boston  and  other  large  cities  ten- 
ants, as  they  are  here  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Yes,'  he  replied.  '  The  same  system  of  public  own- 
ership prevails  there  as  here.  People  have  a  life  tenure 
of  their  homes  and  their  children  after  them,  if  they  so 
desire.  I  have  already  explained  our  system  which  is 
the  same  as  theirs.' 

'  How  are  the  affairs  of  the  city  administered  ? '  I  asked. 

'  The  city  is  divided  into  fifty  sections  or  communes, 
each  of  which  is  self-governing,  as  we  are,  and  have  con- 
trol of  the  lands  and  industries  in  their  sections.  Each 
section,  in  addition  to  its  local  board  of  officers,  elects  a 
commissioner  once  in  ten  years.  The  fifty  commissioners 
constitute  a  board  of  government,  having  charge  of  the 
highways,  subways,  docks,  wharves  and  other  matters  of 
general  concern.  The  same  methods  of  operation  of  the 
industries  prevail  in  the  city  communes  as  with  us.  The 
public  school  system  is  likewise  on  the  same  general  plan 
as  ours,  only  more  elaborate  and  comprehensive,  as  it 
includes  the  universities  and  other  great  institutions  of 
learning.' 


184  RECIPEOCITT. 

'  I  suppose  that  the  employment  of  electric  power  is 
also  general  there  as  here,'  I  said. 

'  Yes ;  and  they  have  a  source  of  power  there  that  we 
can  never  have.  In  addition  to  our  sources  of  power 
they  have  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides,  the  amount  of 
power  from  which  is  limited  only  by  the  extent  of  the 
appliances  employed  to  obtain  it,  for  this  form  of  energy 
is  practically  unlimited  on  the  sea  coasts  throughout  the 
the  world.  Large  bodies  of  tide  water  are  allowed  to 
run  into  basins  at  the  heads  of  estuaries  through  sluice- 
ways in  which  turbine  wheels  are  placed  to  produce 
power  from  rise  and  fall  during  the  greater  portion  of 
the  twenty-four  hours.  Then  there  are  vast  floats  built 
in  basins,  inclosed  on  three  sides,  along  the  water  front, 
into  which  the  tide  water  comes,  lifting  the  floats,  and 
when  it  recedes  they  go  down  again.  This  tide  power, 
proportioned  to  the  area  of  the  float,  is  obtained  through 
geared  machinery  on  the  inclosing  sides,  and  is  something 
surprising  in  the  aggregate.  The  upward  and  downward 
motion  of  the  floats  is  slow,  to  be  sure,  but  the  multiply- 
ing gearing  makes  it  available  for  all  manner  of  power 
utility.' 

'  How  is  this  tide  power  stored  ? '  I  asked. 

'  In  secondary  cells  when  stored  chemically  from  the 
electric  current.  But  here  we  are  at  our  journey's  end, 
and  I  suppose  our  midday  meal  is  awaiting  us,  for  it  is 
after  the  noon  hour.  During  siesta  we  will  fm-ther  dis- 
cuss this  matter.' 

We  left  the  carriage  and  entered  the  house,  where  an 
enticing  repast  was  spread  for  our  enjoyment,  to  which, 


EECIPROCITT.  186 

after  ablutions,  and  receiving  a  hearty  welcome  from  host 
and  hostess,  we  did  ample  justice. 

During  the  siesta  the  patriarch  resumed  the  subject  of 
the  storage  of  tide  power.     He  said : 

<  I  was  answering  your  question  in  regard  to  the  stor- 
age of  energy  in  Boston  and  other  seaboard  places.  The 
tide  power  which  is  converted  into  electric  energy  is 
distributed  to  various  sections  in  storage  plants  for  power 
and  household  purposes,  as  well  as  for  lighting.  One  of 
the  most  extensive  uses  of  this  power  is  for  operation  of 
factories,  and  Boston  may  be  said  to  comprise  in  its  many 
districts  a  great  number  of  these  establishments.  But 
not  alone  are  the  factories  of  the  city  operated  by  elec- 
tric power  derived  from  the  tides,  this  power  is  carried 
inland  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  and  is  often  em- 
ployed as  auxiliary  to  local  water  powers  as  well  as  wind 
power. 

'  Another  form  of  tide  power  storage  is  in  compressed 
air.  In  this  form  vast  amounts  of  power  are  stored  along 
the  sea  coasts  in  this  and  other  countries.  In  places  on 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  where  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  is 
from  30  to  70  feet,  enough  power  is  derived  from  this 
source  to  light,  heat  and  give  all  the  power  needed  for 
manufacturing  and  agricultural  purposes.  In  Main«, 
New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia  this  great  source  of 
energy,  which  is  constant,  supplies  nearly  all  the  power 
needed,  though  wind  and  water  powers  are  used  at  far 
inland  points  where  most  available.  In  the  British  isles, 
France  and  Spain,  where  the  coal  measures  were  exhaust- 
ed centuries  ago,  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides  along  the 


186  RECIPROCITY. 

coasts,  in  rivers  and  estuaries,  furnish  power  for  most 
purposes,  though  wind  and  sun  power  are  also  utilized. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  other  countries  of  continental 
Europe,  and  indeed  of  those  of  Africa,  Asia  and  other 
sections  of  the  globe. 

'  We  have,  as  you  can  judge,  mastered  the  problem  of 
utilizing  the  energy  of  the  sun  in  its  various  manifesta- 
tions on  the  earth,  its  waters  and  its  atmosphere,  and  we 
find  that  more  satisfactory  results  can  be  obtained  from 
a  right  use  of  these  natural  powers  and  the  products  of 
the  earth  than  could  be  derived  from  coal  or  mineral  oil. 
It  was  predicted  many  centuries  ago  that  when  those 
coal  and  mineral  oil  measures  were  exhausted,  the  con- 
sequences to  mankind  would  be  dire  indeed ;  that  our 
colder  climes  would  become  uninhabitable  in  the  winter 
season ;  would  revert  to  wilderness  and  become  hunting 
grounds  for  savages,  and  that  people  would  be  driven  to 
equatorial  countries,  which  would  become  so  overcrowd- 
ed that  the  struggle  for  existence,  war  and  disease,  would 
so  decimate  them  that  only  a  savage  remnant  would  sur- 
vive. But  now,  as  you  see,  the  sun  still  gives  us  in 
various  ways  all  the  power  we  need  for  our  many  uses, 
all  the  food  we  require,  and  will  no  doubt  continue  these 
beneficences  for  millions  of  years  to  come.  Necessity, 
that  fertile  mother  of  invention,  has  enlightened  us  in 
this  as  in  other  things ;  that  is  to  say,  it  has  spurred  us 
on  to  adopt  methods  of  utilizing  the  great  and  generous 
store  of  available  sun-energy  in  the  various  ways  that 
science  and  experience  have  shown  to  be  most  effective 
and  economical.' 


fjeCIPROClTy 

w«*  w  111  i .  i  ?  k^mi 


V  'U      Ik?' 


EECIPEOCITY.  187 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Sociological  Talk — Air-Ship  in  View  —  Telephone 

Wonders  —  Airy  Flight  and  Great  Peril 

—  The  Awakening. 

Our  conversation  now  drifted  to  various  subjects  of 
inquiry  on  my  part.  Among  other  things  I  desired  some 
information  as  to  the  increase  of  population. 

'The  world,'  said  the  patriarch,  'is  now  threatened 
with  the  danger  of  over-population,  and  the  aim  of  soci- 
ologists is  to  so  educate  the  people  that  they  shall  realize 
that  it  is  the  best  and  truest  economy  not  to  encourage 
the  propagation  of  large  families.  A  family  of  four 
children  is  considered  the  limit,  though  some  parents 
have  five  or  six,  which  is  the  exception.  Many  have 
only  two,  many  others  only  one.  The  average  increase 
in  this  state  is  about  ten  per  cent,  in  a  decade.  The  in- 
crease, however,  would  be  hardly  appreciable  were  it  not 
that  infant  mortality  is  very  small,  nearly  all  the  normal, 
healthy  children  born  growing  to  maturity  and  even  old 
age.  The  percentage  of  mortality,  mostly  from  natural 
causes,  is  also  small.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  nowa- 
days people  live  temperate  and  virtuous  lives. 

'Then,  too,  we  realize  that  there  is  a  limit  to  the  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  earth,  and  that  there  is  great  danger 
in  over-peopling  it.  Even  as  it  is,  though  plenty  still 
abounds,  we  fully  realize  the  necessity  of  economy  in  all 
things,  and  that  it  is  better  to  have  a  limited  population 
of  well  fed,  well  cared  for  and  intelligent  people  than  an 


188  RECIPROCITY. 

overcrowding  that  would  certainly  beget  competition  and 
strife,  and  create  a  condition  of  things  where  the  strongest 
rather  tlian  the  fittest  and  best  would  survive.  As  with 
animals,  the  most  fierce  and  ferocious  peoples  would  be- 
come masters  of  the  world.  And  what  then?  I  do  not 
want  to  think  of  what  might  eventuate  from  such  a  con- 
dition of  affairs.' 

'  How  do  sociologists  aim  to  regulate  increase  of  popu- 
lation?' I  asked. 

'By  the  wise  counsels  of  competent  teachers,  and  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  physiology.  By  these  agencies 
not  only  is  progeny  limited  but  even  sex  is  determined, 
so  that  a  preponderance  in  numbers  of  one  sex  over  the 
other  is  avoided.  Every  man  can  now  obtain  a  wife  and 
every  woman  a  husband.' 

'  Are  consanguinous  marriages  of  frequent  occurrence?' 
I  asked. 

'  No ;  so  much  of  race  deterioration  has  been  traced  to 
such  unions  that  young  people  are  taught  to  carefully 
avoid  them,'  he  replied. 

<  Is  there  much  illegitimacy  of  intercourse  between 
the  sexes?'  I  queried. 

'  It  is  very  rare  indeed.  The  young  are  taught  to  curb 
their  passions.  As  they  live  regular,  temperate  lives,  and 
and  their  minds  are  occupied  with  pure  and  rational  con- 
cerns, they  are  not  liable  to  the  temptation  to  transgress 
the  proprieties  of  social  life,  especially  when  they  realize 
the  consequences  of  evil  conduct  to  themselves  and  to 
their  families.  The  violation  of  the  golden  rule  in  this 
respect  is  regarded  as  particularly  flagrant,  and,  as  I  have 


RECIPROCITY.  189 

said  before,  public  opinion  in  this  age  of  the  world  is  all- 
potent.  Marriage  is  the  only  remedy  practicable,'  said 
the  patriarch. 

Just  at  this  moment  my  little  friend,  the  great-grand- 
son of  the  patriarch,  rushed  in,  crying  out:  'Oh  granpa! 
granpa!  the  air-ship  is  coming!' 

'  We  will  go  out  and  look  at  it,'  said  the  patriarch.  'It 
may  have  a  call  to  stop  in  town,  and  if  it  has  we  can  go 
to  the  town  mansion   and   have  a  view  of  it.' 

We  went  out  and,  directing  our  vision  to  that  section 
of  the  sky  at  which  people  were  gazing,  I  had  my  first 
view  of  an  air-ship  ;  but  to  our  disappointment  it  did  not 
come  down  to  earth.  It  passed  over  at  an  altitude  of 
about  three  thousand  feet.  It  appeared  to  be  quite  large, 
how  large  I  could  only  guess.  It  seemed  to  have  a  glid- 
ing motion,  like  a  buzzard  on  even  wing  —  soaring,  and 
then  descending  on  a  quick  decline,  then  soaring  again, 
alternately.  I  could  discern  these  manoeuvres  quite 
plainly,  as  the  ship  passed  about  a  mile  or  two  from 
where  we  were. 

'  Are  these  air-ships  common  ? '  I  asked.  <  This  is  the 
first  one  of  the  kind  I  have  seen.' 

'They  are  not  uncommon,'  he  said,  'and  are  often 
employed  for  purposes  of  scenic  observation  or  for  excit- 
ing adventure  by  young  people  who  court  thrilling  sen- 
sations. They  are  also  used  by  business  men  for  rapid 
transit.  This  method  of  travel  is  becoming  more  popu- 
lar and  is  commonly  safe,  but  in  some  cases  voyagers  in 
them  have  met  with  mishaps.' 

I  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  examine  one  of  these 


190  ItECIPROCITY. 

aerial  ships,  and  was  told  that  I  could  see  one  and  even 
ride  in  it,  as  it  was  quite  manageable.  I  inquired  how 
this  could  be  brought  about. 

'  Simply  enough,'  he  replied.  '  We  can  send  a  message 
to  the  station  at  Montpelier  and  have  one  call  for  you  in 
the  morning.  Indeed  you  may  go  back  to  Boston  in  one 
of  the  regular  liners  that  plies  daily  between  Montreal 
and  that  city,  stopping  at  a  few  regular  stations  or  where 
it  is  called  for,  on  the  way.  Their  carrying  capacity 
is  limited  to  a  few  persons,  with  light  baggage,  but  the 
fare  is  high  —  five  dollars  to  Boston.' 

<I  would  willingly  pay  that  price,'  I  said,  'for  the 
novelty  of  the  trip.' 

'  Very  good,'  he  said.  '  I  will  have  an  air-ship  tele- 
phoned for  to  call  for  you  in  the  morning.  It  passes 
south  about  ten  o'clock.' 

'  I  wonder  why  I  did  not  notice  the  air-ship  before,'  I 
said. 

'  You  would  not  have  seen  it  today,'  he  said,  '  but  for 
the  child  calling  our  attention  to  it.  While  these  fliers 
pass  north  and  south  every  day,  they  do  not,  however, 
always  pass  over  this  town,  as  the  one  did  today.  We 
rarely  have  occasion  to  use  them,  preferring  surface 
travel,  which  is  attended  with  fewer  or  no  accidents. 

'  You  do  not  seem  to  favor  aerial  transit,'  I  remarked. 

'  Birds,'  he  said,  '  float  in  the  air  and  fishes  swim  in 
the  seas  and  waters.  I  should  perhaps  more  correctly 
say  that  birds  soar  and  glide ;  it  is  their  special  function 
to  do  these  things.  But  man  is  held  to  earth  by  a  force 
he  cannot  easily  overcome.     On  its  surface  he  is  master, 


BECIPEOCITT.  191 

but  when  he  attempts  to  leave  its  surface  and  goes  into 
competition  with  birds  in  traversing  the  air  he  enters 
a  contest  in  which  the  chances  are  ten  to  one  against 
him.  The  idea  of  moving  through  the  air  above  the 
earth  is  a  very  old  one — perhaps  a  natural  corollary 
of  man's  soaring  ambition  — so  old  indeed  that  it  is  em- 
balmed in  fable.  It  had  a  spectacular  illustration  in 
balloons  inflated  with  hydrogen  and  other  gases.  The 
gas-filled  bag  rose  through  the  heavier  air  as  a  bubble  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas  rises  from  the  bottom  of  a  lake 
to  the  surface ;  but  the  gas  balloon,  when  it  did  rise,  was 
carried  by  the  air  currents  in  the  direction  of  their  move- 
ments. After  many  years  of  experiment  and  disaster  so- 
called  dirigible  air-ships  replaced  balloons,  but  even  these, 
the  best  of  them,  could  not  make  successful  headway 
against  strong  adverse  air-currents,  especially  when  they 
were  of  considerable  bulk.  The  aeroplane  idea  was  the 
most  successful  development  of  the  experimenters,  but 
even  this  had  its  drawbacks,  until  the  system  now  in  use 
of  a  lifting  and  depressing  auxiliary  to  propelling  power 
and  gas-sustaining  influence,  was  adopted,  and  this  com- 
bination has  made  the  airship  of  today  about  as  practical 
as  such  unstable  craft  are  likely  ever  to  be.  But,  after 
all,  it  can  hardly  be  rated  a  commercial  success,  as  its 
limitations  are  such  as  to  curtail  its  general  usefulness.' 

'  How  is  this  air-ship  raised  and  maintained  in  the  air? ' 
I  queried. 

'  The  air-ship,'  he  replied,  '  has  a  central  body,  some- 
what like  that  of  a  bird  on  the  upper  side,  but  under 
this  are  an  open  framework  and  platform,  on  which  latter 


1 92  KECIPROCITT. 

are  the  motors,  operating  machinery,  and  spaces  for  the 
operator,  passengers,  baggage,  water,  and  material  for 
the  production  of  gas.  The  upper  part  of  the  body  is 
composed  of  a  double  shell  of  metal,  and  has  a  capacity 
for  holding  a  large  amount  of  gas.  Attached  to  the  body 
on  either  side  are  huge  wings  or  aeroplanes,  which  are 
also  hollow,  like  the  body  of  the  machine,  and  made  to 
contain  a  considerable  amount  of  gas.  These  wings  are 
convex  on  the  upper  and  concave  on  the  under  side.  All 
the  framework  is  composed  of  metal  tubing,  which  is 
also  filled  with  gas.  As  the  metal  used  in  all  parts  of 
the  machine  is  aluminum,  you  can  see  that  lightness  and 
strength  are  secured  by  the  material  used.  In  the  body 
and  wings  of  the  machine  enough  gas  can  be  held  to 
sustain  it  in  the  air,  with  its  machinery,  supplies,  a  pilot 
or  engineer,  and  several  passengers.  The  lifting  power 
for  addditional  weight  is  in  the  wings  or  aeroplanes. 
Large  fans  are  let  into  the  wings,  which  by  suction,  as  it 
were,  draw  the  air  down  through  them,  and  thus  tend  to 
lift  up  and  sustain  the  machine.  By  reversing  the  fans, 
an  opposite  effect  is  produced,  and  the  ship  can  in  this 
way  be  brought  down  to  earth  without  waste  of  gas. 
There  are  large  propelling  fans  in  front  and  rear,  which 
are  also  used  for  steering.  While  the  wing  motors  will 
aid  the  ship  to  ascend,  the  propelling  fans  will  send  it 
forward  at  a  moderate  speed  against  even  a  lively  wind, 
while  with  a  wind  the  speed  can  be  greatly  increased  by 
their  use.  Another  method  of  operation  is  by  a  gliding 
motion,  which  is  often  adopted  in  the  face  of  strong 
opposing  air  currents.     In  this  movement  the  operation 


EECIPEOCITT.  193 

of  the  wing  fans  is  suspended,  and  only  the  propellers 
are  used.  From  a  high  altitude  a  short,  quick  descent 
is  made,  and  then  a  long  upward  glide  is  taken,  just  as 
we  see  a  large  bird  manoeuvre  without  apparent  move- 
ment of  the  wings,  though  in  the  air-ship  the  wings  are 
essential  to  such  movements.  It  requires  skill  and  a 
steady  nerve  to  manoeuvre  the  craft  in  gliding  flight, 
which  calls  for  prompt  changes  of  the  wings  at  the  right 
times.  This  part  of  the  mechanism,  I  should  say,  is  quite 
complex,  but  a  skillful  pilot  can  operate  it  successfully. 
If  the  mechanical  operation  of  the  various  parts  of  the 
machinery  employed  in  these  gliding  manoeuvres  could 
only  be  made  to  work  automatically  or  at  the  will  of  the 
pilot  by  the  simple  pressure  of  a  button,  I  have  heard 
skilled  mechanics  say,  it  would  be  a  great  advantage  in 
operating  the  air-ship.  No  doubt  some  inventor  will 
accomplish  it  by  and  by,'  he  said. 

We  returned  to  the  veranda  and  resumed  our  reclin- 
ing chairs.     I  said  to  the  patriarch : 

'  You  spoke  of  sending  a  telephone  message  for  the 
air-ship.     Did  you  mean  a  wireless  message  ? ' 

'Yes,'  he  replied,  'wireless  telephony.  Aerial  tele- 
graphy and  wire  telephony  have  long  been  superseded 
by  it.' 

'  I  have  not  noticed  any  wireless  apparatus  in  town,'  I 
said.  '  No  high  masts  and  other  equipments  of  wireless 
stations.' 

'  Of  course  not,'  he  said,  '  for  the  reason  that  they  are 
not  required  in  the  present  system,  A  discovery  made 
about  nine  hundred  years  ago,  perfected  to  its  present 


194  EECIPROCITT. 

form  since  that  time,  dispenses  entirely  with  masts  and 
other  accessories  of  the  original  systems.  We  now  tele- 
phone from  a  closed  room  to  anywhere  we  desire  to  have 
communication  with.' 

'  You  interest  me,*  I  said, '  how  is  it  done  ?' 

<  By  control  of  ether  waves,  to  which  the  solid  walls  of 
houses  and  other  apparent  obstructions  offer  no  more  im- 
pediment than  the  air  itself.' 

'  Is  the  speech  which  is  thus  transmitted  audible  and 
distinct?'  I  asked. 

'  It  is,'  he  said ;  *  and  the  instrument  not  only  sends 
and  receives  but  records  the  message  received  in  a  pho- 
nograph connected  to  it,  so  that  if  you  are  not  present 
when  the  message  is  received,  it  can  be  obtained  from 
the  record.' 

'  Can  you  talk  with  any  one  you  may  desire  to  ? '  I 
asked. 

'  Yes,  if  he  is  in  your  number  district,'  he  said. 

'What  is  that?'  I  queried. 

'  I  will  explain,'  he  said.  *  "Svery  instrument  is  so  con- 
structed that,  besides  its  own  normal  receiving  tone,  its 
transmitter  can  be  attuned  to  the  normal  receiving  tone 
of  any  other  instrument  in  the  district.  All  instruments 
are  numbered.  Mine  is  No.  75,  and  suppose  I  desire  to 
communicate  with  No.  150.  On  a  small  switchboard  on 
the  machine  I  turn  the  index  finger  to  150,  and  signal. 
If  the  call  is  responded  to  I  make  my  communication.  If 
not,  I  speak  my  message,  knowing  that  it  will  be  recorded 
and  delivered  when  150  returns.  That  a  message  had 
been  received  the  instrument  would  make  evident  by  the 


EECIPEOCITT.  195 

display  of  a  signal  on  the  receiver.  By  this  method  mes- 
sages cannot  conflict,  and  only  the  instrument  intended 
for  communication  with  is  affected.' 

*  I  presume,'  I  said,  '  suchjan  instrument  would  register 
microphonic  sounds.' 

'  Yes ;  they  have  been  made  so  delicate  that  they  have 
recorded  the  beating  of  the  heart  when  all  was  silent  in 
the  room,'  he  replied. 

'Has  it  ever  been  used  in  investigating  mental  phe- 
nomena?' I  asked. 

'It  has  been,'  he  replied.  'At  one  time  some  people, 
who  were  enthusiastic  over  psychical  research  and  occult 
matters,  thought  they  had  discovered  in  this  instrument 
the  means  of  communicating  with  the  spirits  of  the  dead 
and  other  supposed  entities.  Did  they  get  any  results  ? 
Oh  yes;  but  they  were  of  a  nature  so  puzzling  and  con- 
tradictory that  nothing  could  be  decided  from  the  experi- 
ments save  that  they  were  the  records  of  the  unconscious 
cerebration  of  the  brains  of  the  experimenters  them- 
selves, in  the  same  sense  that  ghost  seeing  and  other  like 
phenomena  of  disordered  minds  are  purely  subjective. 
In  this  connection,  I  may  say  that  the  instrument  has 
established  the  fact  that  mental  diseases  are  contagious 
as  well  as  moral  and  physical  ones,  and  that  they  are 
spread  by  social  and  personal  contact,  mental  sympathy 
and  imitation.  Hence  we  now  regard  people  of  abnor- 
mal minds  and  tendencies  with  distrust,  and  they  are 
usually  shunned  by  the  young  and  susceptible  for  fear  of 
contagion.  Their  idiosyncrasies  are  not  encouraged  in 
any  way.* 


196  RECIPROCITY. 

As  the  patriarch  paused,  the  little  fellow  who  called 
us  to  see  the  air-ship  came  up  holding  in  his  hand  a 
child's  story  book.  I  desired  to  inquire  further  in  regard 
to  the  subject  last  touched  upon,  but  I  suspected  it  was 
one  not  altogether  agreeable  to  my  interlocutor,  and  the 
child's  book  suggested  a  train  of  inquiry  to  which  he 
would  more  readily  respond,  so  I  changed  my  questions 
to  matters  pertaining  to  books  and  literature  in  general, 
libraries,  etc. 

'Literature,'  he  said,  'was  never  in  a  more  healthy 
condition  than  it  is  today,  judging  from  the  character 
rather  than  the  number  of  new  works  issued  by  the  com- 
munes. It  is  true  that  we  have  not  nearly  as  many  men 
and  women  writers  in  proportion  to  our  population  as 
there  were  eight  or  ten  centuries  ago,  and  there  are  not 
as  many  ephemeral  publications  as  then,  romances  and 
other  products  of  morbid  minds,  as  the  scientific  trend  of 
our  modern  mind  is  against  such  productions.  The 
literature  of  science  and  philosophy,  however,  is  rich  and 
broad  in  scope.  The  writers  are  many  and  their  labors 
altogether  enlightening.  In  some  of  the  seemingly 
trivial  walks  of  scientific  investigation  the  writers  often 
make  their  observations  far  more  interesting  than  old- 
time  fairy  tales,  for  they  are  based  upon  the  facts  of  real 
existence. 

'I  will  mention,  as  an  example,  works  pertaining  to 
the  micro-organic  world,  such  as  on  lichens,  moulds  and 
other  minute  fungi,  and  the  apparently  simple  micro- 
organisms which  exist  in  countless  numbers  everywhere. 
These  have  all  been  very  fully  studied,  and  their  habits, 


BECEPEOCITT. 


197 


reproductive  and  otherwise,  carefully  noted  and  des- 
cribed. With  the  aid  of  powerful  enlarging  and  recording 
microscopic  photographing  apparatus  the  tiny  growths 
and  organisms  have  been  illustrated  and  enlarged  to  a 
degree  that  give  them  comparatively  huge  proportions, 
developing  the  most  surprising  details.  A  section  of 
lichen  growth,  for  example,  is  magnified  into  the  propor- 
tion of  a  patch  of  noble  forest,  with  stately  trees,  of  their 
kind,  and  a  wonderful  detail  of  undergrowth,  avenues, 
vistas  and  foliage  groupings  which  are  truly  marvellous. 

'  The  study  of  the  living  organisms  inhabiting  these 
miniature  forests,  the  waters  and  the  soil,  the  bacteria  of 
the  ferments,  and  the  varied  phenomena  of  micro-organic 
life,  have  been  graphically  portrayed,  showing  the  many 
and  varied  wonders  of  fecund  life.  We  have  learned 
from  the  patient  labors  and  researches  of  our  scientists 
the  relations  of  most  of  these  minute  organisms  to  the 
larger  animal  and  vegetal  ones,  and  their  agency,  if  any, 
in  the  health  or  disease  processes  of  their  life.  It  is  to 
such  studies  and  the  knowledge  thus  gained  that  we  owe 
our  general  immunity  from  diseases  which  formerly  were 
so  fatal  to  animal  and  vegetal  life.* 

'  Are  the  scientific  investigators  and  writers  held  in 
high  estimation  by  the  people  ? '  I  asked. 

'In  the  highest,  as  they  deserve  to  be,'  he  said.  '  Sci- 
entific investigators,  inventors,  engineers  and  mathema- 
ticians rank,  with  philosophers  and  ethical  teachers, 
among  the  most  honored  callings,  their  productions  being 
reo'arded  as  evidences  of  the  highest  mental  achieve- 
ments.' 


198  EKCIPROCITY. 

'Have  you  many  writers  of  fiction,  romances?'  I  now 
inquired. 

'  We  have  a  few ;  but  their  works  tend  more  to  the 
intellectual  satisfaction  of  the  reader  than  to  mere  emo- 
tional ideas  or  thrilling  situations,  the  existence  and 
defeat  of  treachery,  the  work  of  jealousy  or  revenge,  the 
cruel  and  criminal  acts  of  people  of  unstable  character  — 
most  of  which  is  the  result  of  a  diseased  view  of  social 
life  rather  than  a  reproduction  of  it.  There  are  no  wild 
beasts  or  savage  Indians  nowadays,  as  there  were  in  the 
pioneer  age  of  our  country,  no  wars  for  heroic  acts  and 
hair-breadth  escapes,  and  little  opportunity  for  thrilling 
episodes  and  situations.  We  have  no  murderously  in- 
clined, lazy  vagabonds  ready  to  rob  and  kill  rich  men 
for  their  money,  and  we  have  none  of  the  latter  to  op- 
erate on.  In  fact  the  conditions  of  the  present  age  would 
render  the  production  of  the  old  time  romances  impos- 
sible, except  to  minds  diseased  by  reading  them,  and  if 
written  they  would  not  be  published.  But  this  does  not 
exclude  the  reading  of  works  of  fiction  of  some  of  the 
best  early  writers.' 

'  The  commune,  I  presume,  prints  all  works  that  are 
issued,'  I  said. 

'  Yes,'  he  replied,  <  and  all  works  intended  for  publica- 
tion must  be  submitted  to  a  board  of  competent  censors 
before  acceptance  for  publication,  and  are  carefully  read 
and  digested.  If  not  up  to  standard  they  are  rejected, 
the  reasons  therefor  being  given.  The  rejection,  however, 
is  not  always  final,  if  authors  revise  their  works  to  meet 
objections.' 


aBCIPROCITTf.  199 

'  Have  you  public  libraries  ? '  I  asked. 

'  We  have  a  main  library  at  the  town  mansion  and 
branches  in  the  different  districts  of  the  town,'  he  said. 
'A  public  library  is  one  of  our  oldest  institutions.  Our 
people  are  very  fond  of  reading.  In  the  fall  and  winter 
seasons  the  demands  on  the  library  for  books  are  very 
great.' 

'  Does  it  embrace  a  wide  range  of  reading  ? '  I  asked. 
'  Is  it  rich  in  classical  works,  and  works  of  the  early  poets 
and  prose  writers  of  the  world?' 

'It  is  a  library  that  is  very  rich  in  ancient  as  well  as 
in  modern  English  literature,  including  translations  of 
great  thinkers  and  writers  in  the  other  lanuages.  We 
have  some  very  old  books  there,  works  over  a  thousand 
years  old;  but  they  are  not  now  generall}'  read.  The  old 
spelling  is  not  famihar  to  our  modern  readers,  but  most 
of  the  best  classics  have  been  reprinted.' 

'  Reprinted,'  I  repeated.  I  had  forgotten  the  change 
in  orthography. 

*  Yes,  reprinted,'  he  said.  '  Though  there  are  many  of 
the  old  prints  of  these  works  in  existence  (I  have  quite 
a  number  of  them  in  my  library  —  family  heirlooms),  they 
are  not  read  nowadays  except  in  our  phonetic  text.  I 
can  read  them  in  the  original  text,  though  the  words 
have  an  unfamiliar  look  to  me.  With  our  recognition 
of  words  it  is  much  like  that  of  men.  We  do  not  have 
to  spell  a  word  to  know  what  it  signtfies  because  it  is 
familiar  to  our  vision.  It  is  the  same  in  the  recognition 
of  men.  We  recognize  both  because  of  our  familiarity 
with  their  peculiarities.     I  have  no  doubt  the  phonetic 


200  KECIPEOCITY. 

system,  when  first  introduced,  met  with  opposition  for 
the  reason  that  it  changed  the  familiar  appearances  of 
words  to  unfamiliar  ones.  Men,  naturally,  are  conserva- 
tive beings  and  take  slowly  to  reforms.' 

*  Is  there  a  universal  language  ? '  I  asked. 

'  No ;  not  in  the  sense  that  only  one  language  is  spoken 
by  peoples  of  all  nations.  English,  however,  from  its 
phonetic  spelling  and  easy  pronunciation,  as  well  as  for 
commercial  reasons,  is  taught  and  spoken  to  a  limited 
extent,  in  addition  to  native  language,  in  all  countries 
outside  the  English  speaking  ones.  There  have  been 
many  attempts  at  constructing  a  universal  language,  but 
without  success,'  he  replied. 

'What  class  of  works  of  old  writers  are  most  in  quest 
at  the  library?'  I  asked. 

'  Philosophical,  like  Spencer's ;  scientific,  like  those  of 
Darwin  and  the  German  scientists,  the  leading  historians, 
the  poets  and  dramatists,  and  historical  novelists.  Some 
of  the  best  works  of  German,  French  and  Italian  writers 
have  been  translated  and  printed  in  series  form,  like  the 
works  of  classical  English  and  American  authors.  We 
do  not  always  print  these  works  entire,  but  the  portions 
of  them  of  best  merit  and  interest  in  this  age.  They 
form  a  splendid  collection  of  the  rarest  and  best  thoughts 
of  men  of  genius  in  the  early  and  middle  ages  of  human 
civilization,'  he  replied. 

'  What  of  works  of  fiction,  novels,  travels,  domestic 
dramas,  etc.?'  I  asked. 

'Preference  is  given  to  historical  works  and  novels, 
but  we  reprint  a  few  novels  illustrating  society  in  the 


EECIPEOCITT.  201 

ages  when  life  was  strenuous  and  competitive.  We  hold 
that  such  works  may  have  a  good  influence  by  showing 
the  contrast  between  the  social  and  industrial  conditions 
and  vicissitudes  of  life  in  those  days  and  these  of  our  own 
times,  as  they  would  show  how  much  better  and  happier 
we  now  are  than  the  people  were  ten  or  twenty  centuries 
ago,'  he  said. 

'  Then  you  do  not  think  the  portrayal  of  evil  deeds 
and  of  corrupt  practices,  as  found  in  old  works  of  fiction, 
are  demoralizing  to  your  youth,'  I  said. 

'  There  is  a  certain  class  of  old  fiction  that  we  do  not 
allow  the  young  to  read,  but  permit  the  mature  to  see. 
But  even  such  reading  is  carefully  selected.  Rightly 
understood,  these  novels  give  us  pictures  of  society  which, 
to  the  philosophic  mind,  are  of  great  interest  as  indicat- 
ing the  changes  imperceptibly  wrought  in  the  manners 
and  customs  of  peoples  in  the  process  of  social  evolution. 
Men  in  the  old  days  were  dominated  by  many  influences 
beyond  their  control,  which  made  them  selfish  and  often 
dishonest,  and  embittered  not  only  their  own  lives  but 
those  of  others.  Their  habits  were  often  intemperate, 
and  as  these  and  other  deplorable  traits  were  trans- 
mitted to  their  descendants,  by  heredity  and  example, 
the  work  of  regeneration  was  almost  hopeless  while  pov- 
erty and  insane  strife  for  wealth  prevailed,  and  while  in 
the  under  stratum  of  society  employment  was  uncertain 
and  labor  poorly  paid. 

'  But  when  industrial  independence  became  assured ; 
when  the  generations  had  time  and  opportunity  to  gain 
knowledge,  think  for  themselves,  and  acquired  the  habits 


202  RECrPBOCITT. 

of  contented  industry,  then  a  change  for  the  better  set 
in,  and  pride  and  self-respect  took  the  place  of  reckless 
conduct  and  aimless  living.  In  time  the  absence  of 
struggle  for  an  uncertain  livelihood  produced  a  more 
agreeable  temperament  and  increased  kindliness  of  man- 
ners. In  other  words,  with  the  removal  of  individual  com- 
petition and  the  absence  of  struggle  for  existence  by  the 
equitable  adjustment  of  the  rewards  of  labor,  there  was 
no  longer  any  incentive  to  strife.  People  became  better 
natured.  From  hating  and  envying  one  another  they 
began  to  regard  one  another  with  favor,  and  this  change 
of  sentiment  being  found  beneficial  to  all  concerned,  led 
first  to  general  friendship,  and  finally,  by  a  natural  pro- 
cess, to  universal  brotherhood.  The  generous  nature  of 
strong  manhood  asserted  itself,  and  men  became  brothers 
in  fact  as  well  as  in  name.  These  changes  in  the  char- 
acters and  conditions  of  the  human  family  can  be  clearly 
and  even  vividly  traced  in  the  fictional  tales  of  the  ages 
as  well  as  in  the  works  of  writers  of  history,'  he  said. 

'  What  kind  of  tales,  plays,  and  light  literature  of  the 
early  days  are  now  read  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Chiefly  those  abounding  in  wit  and  humor.  The  tales 
of  Charles  Dickens,  stories  of  Irish,  French,  German  and 
American  life  are  among  the  older  works  of  fiction  most 
in  demand.  Comedies  and  lively  dramas  are  quite  popu- 
lar with  our  people.  I  confess  a  partiality  to  lively  tales, 
and  can  lose  myself  in  the  study  of  characters  portrayed 
by  such  writers  as  Dickens,  Lever,  Dumas,  Hugo,  and 
other  writers  of  fiction  as  well  as  the  German  novelists. 
There  is  to  my  mind,  however,' pursued  the  patriarch,  'a 


RECIPEOCITY.  203 

strange  pathos  in  much  of  the  wit  and  humor  of  the  story 
writers  of  the  past.  These  scintillations  are  like  gleams 
of  sunshine  breaking  through  the  clouds  of  misery  and 
gloom  surrounding  poor  humanity,  which,  while  indicat- 
ing undying  cheerfulness,  yet  reveal  an  almost  hopeless 
condition  of  things.  Man's  travail  has  been  a  long  and 
painful  one,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  he  has  neared  the 
end  of  his  trials  and  tribulations.  Much  has  yet  to  be 
achieved,  but  it  is  gratifying  to  know  that  it  will  be  ac- 
complished under  more  favorable  conditions.' 

I  said  I  would  like  to  see  one  of  the  reproductions  of 
the  early  authors.  He  went  to  his  library  and  soon  came 
back  with  a  copy  of  Shelley's  poems. 

'This,  in  English  poetry,  is  one  of  my  favorites,'  he 
said.  '  You  will  observe  that  some  of  his  longer  poems 
—  Queen  Mab,  Revolt  of  Islam,  Prometheus  Unbound, 
and  a  few  minor  ones,  as  the  Sensitive  Plant,  the  Cloud, 
and  the  Skylark — are  contained  in  this  reprint.  Allow 
me  to  present  it  to  you  to  keep  as  a  souvenir  of  your 
visit  and  the  pleasure  it  has  afforded  us  to  entertain  you.' 

Thanking  him  for  the  gift,  I  placed  the  book,  which 
was  one  of  small  size,  in  my  pocket. 

We  talked  of  many  other  matters  until  the  evening 
meal  was  announced.  This  passed  off,  as  usual,  amid 
pleasant  and  sprightly  conversation. 

Up  to  bed  time  the  talk  was  mostly  on  my  contem- 
plated departure  on  the  morrow,  and  the  peculiarity  of 
the  means  I  had  selected  for  returning  to  Boston.  They 
all  considered  it  a  singular  notion  on  my  part,  and  the 
women  especially  regarded  it  with  some  apprehension. 


204  RECIPROCITY. 

The  patriarch,  however,  was  of  opinion  that  it  might 
afford  me  an  experience  which  would  be  a  fitting  climax 
to  that  which  I  had  already  had. 

'You  will,'  he  said,  'have  an  opportunity  to  see  how 
closely,  compactly  and  regularly  the  many  towns  of  Ver- 
mont, New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  are  laid  out 
and  occupied.  It  will  seem  like  a  chess  board  with  all 
the  squares  utilized,  and  it  should  be  a  matter  of  gratifi- 
cation to  reflect  that  on  these  hills,  in  these  valleys,  on 
the  farms  and  in  cities  and  villages,  contentment,  thrift, 
prosperity  and  happiness  prevail ;  that  equality  and  bro- 
therhood go  hand  in  hand,  and  that  life  is  made  pleasant 
by  neighborly  interest  and  affection.  Above  all,  the 
consciousness  that  strife,  in  all  its  unhappy  forms,  has 
no  existence  among  men,  will  make  the  contemplation 
all  the  more  gratifying  to  you.' 

I  thanked  the  patriarch  for  his  good  opinion  of  me, 
and  also  took  occasion  to  thank  my  host  and  hostess  for 
their  entertainment  and  enlightening  information^  What 
I  had  witnessed  and  heard,  I  told  them,  had  given  me  a 
gratifying  revelation  of  what  good  people  could  accom- 
plish by  an  intelligent  system  of  co-operation  under  favor- 
ing conditions.  It  also  illustrated  to  me,  I  said,  how 
contentment  and  even  happiness  could  be  secured  to  all 
by  a  strict  adherence  to  the  fundamental  principle  of  the 
golden  rule.  I  also  said  that  they  had  convinced  me,  by 
what  they  had  shown  and  otherwise  demonstrated,  that 
their  social  and  industrial  systems  were  much  superior 
to  any  I  had  known  or  read  of,  and  that  henceforward  I 
should  feel  assured  that  these  constituted  the  wisest  and 


BECIPKOCITT.  205 

best  solution  of  the  many  problems  of  human  civilization. 

In  response  they  assured  me  that  they  considered  the 
pleasure  (they  didn't  say  novelty,  but  the  word  occurred 
to  me  as  more  appropriate)  of  my  visit  more  than  com- 
pensated them  for  their  hospitality,  and  as  to  the  infor- 
mation they  had  imparted,  it  was  indeed  a  pleasure  for 
them  to  give  it.  They  all  appeared  to  regret  my  forth- 
coming departure,  and  I  must  admit  that  I  felt  loath  to 
leave  such  an  ideal  family  circle. 

But  the  evening  meal  now  summoned  us  to  the  dining 
room,  following  which  some  desultory  conversation  took 
up  the  time  until  the  hour  for  retiring  came,  and  I  then 
sought  my  couch  and  slept  so  soundly  that  I  did  not 
realize  the  flight  of  time  until  I  awakened  to  find  it  was 
daylight.  Making  a  hasty  toilet  I  at  once  descended  to 
the  sitting  room  and  found  the  entire  family  assembled, 
as  usual,  on  the  veranda,  the  patriarch  in  their  midst, 
about  to  pronounce  the  usual  morning  invocation.  I,  of 
course,  joined  the  group.  "When  this  was  ended,  we 
entered  the  dining  room  and  I  partook  of  a  well-cooked 
and  appetizing  breakfast. 

In  the  course  of  conversation  that  followed  the  meal 
I  asked  the  patriarch  if  he  made  the  morning  invocation 
in  the  open  air  at  all  seasons.  He  said  he  did  not  when 
it  rained  or  was  stormy  in  the  summer  or  during  snow 
storms  or  cold  weather  in  the  winter,  but  held  the  service 
indoors  at  such  times,  the  clock  being  regulated  that  the 
time  of  sunrise  was  indicated  by  a  graphophone  attached 
to  it  and,  muzzein-like,  called,  not  to  prayer  exactly,  but 
to  a  service  akin  to  it. 


206  KBCIPROCITT. 

'Is  this  form  of  worship  of  the  sun  a  general  custom?* 
I  asked, 

'  I  think  I  stated  to  you  before,'  said  the  patriarch, 
'  that  it  is  in  no  proper  sense  a  form  of  worship,  but  an 
invocation  simply.  If  it  resembles  a  prayer,  it  has  a  very 
tangible  being  for  its  objective,  not  an  imaginary  one. 
As  to  its  form,  that  is  a  matter  of  choice  rather  than  con- 
vention with  all  who  observe  it.  It  is  indeed  only  a 
matter  of  recognition  on  our  part.  Many  are  lax  in 
getting  out  of  bed  before  sunrise,  especially  in  the  long, 
summer  days.  The  usual  form  of  recognition  is :  "  Giver 
of  all  benefits,  I  salute  thee !  "  Many  add  to  this :  "  Aid 
us  by  thy  benign  influence  to  do  right  and  to  love  our 
fellow  men!"  Many  others  simply  say:  "Father  sun, 
we  salute  thee ! "  There  are  still  others,  mostly  young 
people,  who  make  no  observance  of  the  custom,  though 
later  in  life  they  invariably  adopt  it.' 

We  were  now  apprized  of  the  receipt  of  a  telephone 
message  notifying  us  that,  in  response  to  our  request,  an 
air-ship  would  call  at  the  town  mansion  station  in  Pom- 
fret  at  10  o'clock  Monday.  I  looked  at  my  watch,  which 
I  had  been  careful  to  wind  every  morning  since  my  arri- 
v>4  in  town,  and  found  it  was  half  past  9. 

'We  have  just  half  an  hour  to  get  ready  and  be  on  the 
ground,'  said  the  patriarch. 

I  went  up  to  my  room,  packed  my  grip,  and  came  down 
ready  for  departure.  The  entire  family  had  assembled 
in  front  of  the  house,  where  a  road  carriage  was  waiting 
to  carry  me  to  the  place  where  I  was  to  embark  on  my 
aerial  voyage  —  not  the  entire  family,  by  the  way,  for 


KECIPROCITT.  207 

my  little  favorite  was  absent,  at  school.  After  bidding 
them  all  a  grateful  farewell  I  spoke  of  the  child,  regret- 
ting that  he  was  not  present.  He  had  often  admired  the 
charm  on  my  watch  chain.  This  I  detached  and  gave 
to  his  mother  for  him,  who  seemed  greatly  pleased  at  my 
remembrance  of  the  boy. 

Amid  adieus  and  the  waving  of  hands  and  handker- 
chiefs we  started  away  and  were  soon  at  the  rendezvous 
on  the  green  fronting  one  of  the  wings  of  the  town  man- 
sion. We  had  not  been  on  the  g.round  more  than  five 
minutes  when  the  patriarch,  who  had  been  scanning  the 
northern  horizon  with  a  field  glass,  exclaimed: 

'  Here  comes  the  air-ship ! ' 

He  then  handed  the  glass  to  me.  When  I  located  the 
coming  craft  it  seemed  not  much  larger  than  an  eagle, 
which  at  that  distance  it  resembled  somewhat,  except  in 
color,  with  its  prey  in  its  talons ;  but  it  grew  rapidly  in 
size  and  nondescript  character,  until  I  found  more  satis- 
faction in  viewing  it  with  the  naked  eye.  I  handed  the 
field  glass  back  to  the  patriarch,  with  thanks,  when  he 
said: 

<  Take  it  with  you,  Mr.  Wonder.  It  will  enable  you 
the  better  to  examine  the  details  of  the  landscape  as  you 
pass  over  it.' 

I  thanked  him  for  this  further  proof  of  his  kindness, 
and,  on  the  impulse,  took  out  my  watch,  disengaged  the 
chain,  and  handed  watch  and  chain  to  him  as  a  memento 
of  my  visit,  no  doubt  a  rare  souvenir  to  him.  He  seemed 
greatly  surprised  and  pleased,  but  accepted  it  without  pro- 
test, like  a  true  man. 


208  KECIPEOCITT, 

The  air-ship  was  now  nearing  us  rapidly,  and  seemed 
to  be  coming  to  earth  at  a  decline  of  about  25  degrees. 

Though  it  had  resembled  a  bird  at  a  distance,  a  closer 
view  gave  it  a  nondescript  appearance.  But  aside  from 
the  details  of  its  platform  equipment,  it  presented  the 
outlines  of  a  bird  in  body  and  wings,  lacking  neck  and 
head.  As  it  neared  us  its  movement  seemed  more  de- 
liberate. Finally  coming  close,  it  seemed  to  hover  for  a 
moment,  then  it  settled  down  in  the  space  between  four 
posts  sunk  in  the  ground  at  the  corners  of  an  oblong 
square.  It  came  to  earth  slowly  and  very  deliberately, 
as  if  depressed  against  an  upward  tendency.  Four  men 
at  the  posts  at  once  seized  the  chains  which  were  dangl- 
ing from  the  corners  of  the  platform  or  deck  of  the  air- 
ship, fastened  them  to  rings  on  the  posts,  and  the  aerial 
craft  was  anchored. 

Seen  at  close  range  the  machine  appeared  large.  The 
body  was  oval,  shaped  something  like  an  egg  cut  in  half 
longitudinally ;  that  is,  like  half  of  an  egg,  only  a  true 
oval  very  much  elongated.  It  was  about  50  feet  long  by 
20  feet  in  width  at  its  widest  part,  tapering  to  the  ends, 
which  narrowed  to  about  6  feet  at  the  rounding.  The 
wings  or  aeroplanes,  each  about  30  feet  in  length  by  15 
in  width,  were  oval  on  the  outer  lines  and  nearly  straight 
next  to  the  body.  Like  the  body,  the  upper  side  was 
rounding,  but  unlike  it  (the  body  was  flat  on  the  under 
side)  the  wings  were  concaved  below,  but  not  deeply  so, 
there  being  ample  space  in  the  shell  to  hold  a  large  sup- 
ply of  gas.  In  the  centre  of  each  wing  was  a  circular 
opening,  about  6  feet  in  diameter,  in  which  was  a  fan,  with 


EECIPEOCITT.  209 

deep  acutely  set  blades.  These  fans  were  held  in  strong 
journals  below  and  above,  and  their  shafts  below  were 
connected  with  flexible  shafts  extending  from  the  operat- 
ing machinery  and  connected  by  universal  joints  or 
other  coupling. 

The  wings  were  supported  by  a  shaft  which  passed 
under  and  across  the  centre  of  the  body,  to  which  it  was 
attached,  the  shaft  in  a  flattened  form  passing  around 
the  fan  hole,  uniting  beyond  it,  and  continuing  to  the 
outer  edge.  The  wings  were  also  connected  by  ellip- 
tical racks  with  a  shaft  running  across  and  below  the 
centre  of  the  platform  with  which  it  engaged  by  seg- 
ment gears  to  spur  gears.  These  racks  extended  from 
one  end  of  each  wing  to  the  other,  and  served  not  only  as 
a  bracing  to  the  wings,  but  also  the  purpose  of  changing 
the  plane  of  the  wings  with  reference  to  that  of  the  body, 
raising  or  depressing  the  ends  according  as  it  was  desired 
to  soar  or  to  glide.  The  lower  shaft  was  operated  by  a 
hand  lever  through  a  suitable  gearing  connected  with 
gears  on  the  shaft.  The  upper  or  wing  shaft  was  held 
in  journals  attached  centrally  to  the  under  part  of  the 
body  of  the  air-ship,  so  that  the  wings  could  be  moved 
at  pleasure  through  a  limited  arc,  the  movement  being 
•limited  by  chains  at  either  end  from  the  wings  to  the 
platform. 

The  platform  itself — an  oblong  square  25  feet  long 
by  15  feet  wide,  with  rounded  ends — was  suspended 
from  the  body  of  the  air-ship  by  stout  tubing  rods  about 
eight  feet  below  it,  and  was  so  braced  as  to  be  quite  rigid 
in  the  connection.     A  rail  guard  with  wire  lattice  work 


210  RECIPKOCITT. 

surrounded  the  platform,  which  contained  the  power 
motors  and  the  machinery  that  operated  the  wing  and 
propelling  and  steering  fans.  The  steering  of  the  craft 
was  effected  by  an  ingenious  arrangement  of  the  central 
shaft  or  rather  shafts,  for  it  was  divided  in  the  centre 
but  connected  by  a  flexible  joint,  the  deflection  in  the 
centre  of  the  shaft  in  either  direction  serving  to  steer  as 
well  as  propel  the  craft  to  either  the  right  or  the  left,  as 
desired.  A  reverse  motion  of  the  propelling  shaft  would 
send  the  ship  in  the  opposite  direction,  so  that  in  reality 
it  was  a  double-ender,  would  go  in  one  direction  as  well 
as  the  other.  The  motors,  which  were  run  by  alcohol, 
were  small,  compact  and  powerful,  being  about  30  horse- 
power each.  (I  learned  these  details  from  the  pilot  after 
we  had  started.)  Before  going  I  noticed  that  a  placard 
or  sign  in  large  black  lettering  read,  'A,  No.  624,'  the 
letter  indicating  the  class  or  line  to  which  the  craft  be- 
longed, and  number  for  the  ship. 

There  was  little  delay.  A  ladder  was  lowered  for  me, 
and  after  bidding  the  patriarch  a  fervent  good-bye,  I 
climbed  up  to  the  platform,  grip  in  hand.  I  found  three 
other  passengers  there,  two  seated  in  front  of  and  near 
to  the  pilot  and  one  at  his  rear.  I  was  directed  to  take 
a  seat  with  the  latter  for  the  present.  I  noted  that  the* 
passengers  as  well  as  the  pilot  had  on  heavy  overcoats 
and  fur  caps,  which  seemed  superfluous  as  the  day  was 
warm,  but  was  reminded  that  I  was  going  up  into  a  cold 
region  of  atmosphere  where  I  would  need  heavy  clothing. 
The  pilot,  however,  had  provided  for  such  a  contingency, 
and  gave  me  a  fur  coat  and  cap  to  put  on. 


RECIPROCITY.  211 

The  anchoring  chains  being  cast  off  and  the  wing  fans 
set  in  motion,  the  ship  rose  rapidly  for  a  few  minutes, 
when  the  pilot  started  the  propelling  fans,  at  the  same 
time  turning  the  lever  and  raising  the  front  ends  of  the 
wings,  and  the  ship  forged  quickly  forward  on  an  up- 
ward incline.  I  moved  to  the  rear  of  the  platform  to 
obtain  a  view  of  the  town  I  was  leaving.  The  town 
mansion  which  we  had  left  was  now  most  conspicuous, 
and  from  the  altitude  that  I  viewed  it  —  about  2000  feet 
—  presented  the  true  outlines  of  a  Greek  cross.  I  later 
noted  the  same  form  of  central  grouped  buildings  in  a 
number  of  the  towns  which  we  passed  over.  According 
to  the  barometer  we  had  soon  ascended  to  something 
over  6000  feet  above  sea  level,  the  wings  were  brought 
to  a  horizontal  position,  and  we  were,  to  use  a  nautical 
phrase,  sailing  on  an  even  keel. 

The  pilot  now  signified  to  me  that  I  could  go  to  the 
forward  end  of  the  platform,  if  I  desired,  as  I  had  told 
him  I  would  like  to  take  a  look  at  the  country  over 
which  we  were  passing.  I  noticed  when  speaking  with 
the  pilot  that  he  had  a  compass  before  him,  and  to  my 
question  why  he  had  it  said  that  at  times  the  air-ship  was 
enveloped  in  clouds  which  made  it  necessary  to  steer  by 
the  magnetic  needle. 

The  air  was  now  very  cold,  and  I  wondered  why  we 
had  risen  to  such  an  altitude,  but  was  told  that  two  of 
the  passengers  were  Canadian  scientists  who  were  on  the 
way  to  attend  a  convention  of  meteorologists,  which  was 
to  be  held  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Washington,  to  which 
place  the  ship  was  now  being  directed.     In  conversation 


212  KECIPEOCITT. 

with  the  third  passenger  I  discovered  that  he  was  an 
electrical  engineer  and  was  bound  for  Boston,  so  that  we 
would  be  companions  to  the  end  of  the  voyage. 

But  my  attention  was  now  drawn  to  the  panorama 
spread  out  below  me.  What  first  surprised  me  was  the 
apparent  flatness  of  the  landscape,  the  hills  being  hardly 
distinguishable  from  the  valleys,  but  the  lakes  shone  like 
mirrors,  and  the  Connecticut  and  Merrimac  rivers  were 
traceable  winding  their  way  seaward,  their  affluents 
seeming  like  threads  of  silver  in  a  pied  fabric  of  coloring, 
in  which  villages,  towns  and  cities  contrasted  with  the 
light  and  dark  green  ohades  of  field  and  forest  foliage. 
It  was  disappointing  in  not  giving  the  bold,  picturesque 
views  that  such  a  country  afforded  to  surface  observers. 
But  I  thought  of  the  patriarch's  similie  of  a  chessboard 
and  how  aptly  it  described  the  scene.  I  was  reminded 
in  that  connection  that  I  had  the  field  glass  he  had  given 
me,  which  I  at  once  made  good  use  of,  my  companion, 
the  electrical  engineer,  being  provided  with  a  similar 
aid  to  vision. 

As  we  neared  Mount  Washington  that  person  called 
my  attention  to  the  large  number  of  air-ships  which  were 
going  in  our  direction.  They  came  from  the  east,  south, 
west  and  north,  and  as  we  neared  our  stopping  place  on 
the  mountain  several  came  quite  close  to  us,  so  near  that 
we  could  read  their  numbers  with  the  naked  eye.  It  was 
so  cold  that  my  fingers  were  benumbed,  and  I  was  glad 
to  put  the  glass  away  and  keep  my  hands  in  my  pockets. 

In  due  time  we  made  a  landing  on  the  mountain. 
Some  of  the  air-ships  had  been  before  us,  as  we  met  them 


EECIPEOCITT.  213 

on  their  return,  after  landing  their  passengers  bound  for 
that  place  and  taking  on  others  leaving  it.  I  was  told 
that  people  came  regularly  from  the  cities  in  the  hot 
weather  season  to  the  mountains  in  air-ships  to  cool  off 
and  have  a  night  or  two  of  sleep  under  warm  bedclothes 
in  the  tonic  mountain  air.  The  trip  usually  was  made 
in  about  forty-five  minutes  from  Boston  and  an  hour  and 
a  half  from  New  York.  I  noticed  that  all  the  air-ships 
we  saw  were  of  the  same  make  as  the  one  I  was  on. 

It  did  not  take  us  long  to  land  our  two  scientists,  and 
there  were  five  more  passengers  waiting  to  be  taken  on, 
bound  for  Boston.  I  asked  the  pilot  if  he  were  not  tak- 
ing on  a  heavy  load  in  these  five  passengers.  He  said 
he  was,  but  as  the  altitude  was  considerable  and  he  had 
just  reinforced  his  gas-making  tank  with  an  additional 
supply  of  calcium  carbide  he  thought  there  was  no  danger 
from  overweight  on  the  down  grade. 

Looking  around  on  the  mountain  summits  I  saw  a  great 
number  of  wind  engines.  I  remarked  to  my  companion 
that  I  wondered  what  purpose  they  served  in  this  romote 
region.     He  said  in  reply : 

'One  of  the  uses  of  the  electric  current  produced  here 
is  to  heat  and  light  the  hotels  and  public  buildings.  An- 
other is  to  supply  current  to  many  inland  industries. 
The  wind  on  these  high  summits  is  always  active  and  at 
times  very  fierce,  giving  great  power  for  the  production 
of  electric  current.  The  summits  of  all  the  mountains 
and  hills  are  utilized  in  the  same  manner  for  electric 
power  production. 

We  were  now  ready  to  start  for  Boston.     I  looked  to 


214  RBCIPROCITT. 

the  northeast  and  south  along  the  coast  line,  which  was 
visible  from  Eastport  to  Cape  Cod.  Innumerable  craft 
were  on  the  sea,  moving  in  all  directions.  With  the  aid 
of  the  glass  I  could  see  many  of  them  quite  plainly. 
Some  of  them  appeared  high  above  water  and  were  of 
large  size,  and  all  appeared  to  have  their  decks  partly 
taken  up  with  structures  not  unlike  turrets  of  battleships. 
I  asked  my  companion  what  these  were. 

'  Wind  engines,'  he  replied.  '  They  are  after  the  style 
of  land  wind  engines,  only  they  are  run  horizontally,  and 
are  employed  to  operate  the  propellers  in  conjunction 
with  electric  power  derived  from  alcohol.  Their  power 
is  also  converted  into  electricity  and  stored.  From  these 
sources  an  abundance  of  energy  to  carry  vessels  to  their 
destinations  is  derived.' 

'  But  in  the  event  of  strong  head  winds,  what  then  ?'  I 
asked. 

'Vessels  will  not  leave  a  haven,'  he  replied,  'if  wind 
is  ahead  and  blowing  very  hard,  but  at  sea  a  strong  head 
wind  is  met  by  tacking  at  angles  in  which  the  wind  will 
aid  more  than  retard.  The  harder  it  blows  the  more  cur- 
rent is  produced.  A  side  wind  or  a  wind  on  the  aft 
quarter,  or  from  abaft,  if  it  be  strong,  will  give  sufficient 
electrical  energy  to  propel  the  ship  without  the  aid  of  its 
alcohol  engines.' 

'  Are  there  no  sailing  ships,  that  is,  ressels  propelled 
by  sails,  I  mean  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Yes,'  he  replied.  '  Ships  that  make  long  voyages 
carry  sails,  but  they  are  also  equipped  with  wind  engines 
for  auxiliary  power.     All  are  provided  with  propelling 


EECIPEOCITY.  215 

machinery  to  be  operated  by  electricity,  but  on  long 
voyages  sails  are  always  carried,  as  when  the  wind  is 
fair  they  are  the  cheapest  motive  power.  Coastwise  craft 
have  little  use  for  sails.' 

I  marveled  at  this  as  well  as  other  departures  from 
the  old  established  order  of  things,  but  now  directed  my 
glass  toward  the  city  of  our  destination.  As  we  neared 
it,  I  was  puzzled  to  locate  the  old  city.  I  could  trace 
the  Merrimac  river  through  a  wilderness  of  buildings, 
many  of  them  of  very  large  dimensions — factories,  no 
doubt.  Beyond  it,  to  the  southward  the  buildings  and 
the  thread-like  streets,  which  intersected  one  another 
like  strands  of  a  spider's  web,  seemed  continuous  and 
interminable.  Finally  I  located  the  shaft  of  Bunker  Hill 
monument. 

As  I  caught  sight  of  the  historic  shaft,  a  thought  came 
to  me  — and  the  mystery  of  it  is  that  it  had  not  occurred 
to  me  or  awakened  my  consciousness  before,  but  it  came 
like  a  shock  and  nearly  paralyzed  me  —  what  was  Boston 
to  me  a  thousand  years  after  I  was  or  ought  to  have  been 
dead?  Where  were  my  friends,  my  family,  my  descend- 
ants? Was  I  not  going  to  a  place  where  I  would  be  as 
unknown  as  if  I  had  come  from  the  plains  of  Tartary  or 
had  dropped  from  the  moon  ? 

In  this  peculiar  condition  of  mind  I  was  oblivious  of 
what  was  going  on  about  me.  Collecting  my  scattered 
senses,  however,  I  was  about  to  ask  a  question  of  my  fel- 
low voyager,  when  1  noticed  that  he  suddenly  looked 
towards  the  centre  of  the  platform  and  his  face  blanched 
as  if  in  terror. 


216  RECIPROCITY. 

*  What  is  the  matter  ? '  I  asked,  sharing  in  his  alarm 
without  knowing  its  cause. 

'  There  is  something  wrong  with  the  machinery,'  he 
said,  and  started  back  to  learn  what  the  trouble  was  and 
offer  expert  aid,  if  needed.  I  followed  him.  We  found 
the  pilot  in  great  trouble.  The  propelling  shaft  had  be- 
come inoperative  through  the  breaking  of  a  sprocket 
chain.  The  pilot  had  a  spare  one,  had  taken  up  a  hatch 
in  the  platform  over  the  sprocket,  and  was  endeavoring 
to  get  the  shaft  in  working  order  again,  but  apparently 
without  Buccess. 

'Why  not  land  now?'  said  one  of  the  passengers, 

*  Before  doing  that,'  said  the  pilot,  '  I  will  make  one 
more  attempt  to  get  the  shaft  in  gear,'  and  he  again  des- 
cended and  renewed  his  efforts,  but  without  success. 

The  passengers  now  became  clamorous  to  be  landed, 
and  one  of  them  threatened  to  to  take  the  pilot's  place 
and  bring  the  ship  to  earth.  His  companions  supported 
him,  and  a  lively  scene  followed.  My  companion  and  I 
strenuously  opposed  interference  with  the  pilot,  but  we 
urged  him  to  land  without  delay,  and  he  promised  to  do 
so  at  once. 

Looking  out  and  around,  I  saw  that  during  the  wrangle 
the  ship  had  drifted  toward  the  coast,  and  looking  sea- 
ward was  alarmed  to  see  a  huge  bank  of  fog  drifting  onto 
the  land.  It  was,  in  fact,  almost  under  us  and  was  mov- 
ing in  rapidly.  We  were  drifting  to  sea  and  the  dense 
fog  creeping  in  under  us  like  a  stealthy  foe.  But  there 
was  still  a  chance  for  safety  left.  By  gliding  down  back- 
ward we  might  still  land  ahead  of  the  fog. 


RECIPROCITY.  217 

The  pilot,  who  seemed  to  be  completely  unnerved,  now 
took  hold  of  the  lever  that  controlled  the  wings,  and  to 
our  dismay  turned  them  in  the  wrong  direction,  and  at 
the  same  time  reversed  the  movement  of  the  wing  fans. 
We  now  began  to  descend  rapidly,  -but  in  the  wrong 
direction,  and  were  soon  enveloped  in  the  fog. 

We  could  see  nothing,  but  could  hear  the  sound  of 
breakers  on  a  rocky  shore.  We  all  realized  that  death 
by  drowning  was  now  inevitable.  It  was  an  awful  mo- 
ment !  The  noise  of  the  breakers  grew  louder,  and  then 
there  was  a  sudden  arrest  of  motion  as  the  air-ship  struck 
the  water,  and  I  received  a  shock  which  I  felt  was  to  be 
my  last  sensation  of  life.         *         *         #         #         * 

A  heavy  hand  was  on  my  shoulder,  and  a  voice  in  my 
ear  shouted  in  stentorian  accents: 

*  Wake  up,  sir !  Your  ticket  was  for  West  Hartford, 
and  here  you  are.  Be  lively,  as  we  are  only  waiting  for 
you  to  land  to  start  the  train.'     Considerate  conductor  ! 

Dazed  and  speechless,  I  mechanically  seized  my  grip 
and  got  out  onto  the  platform  of  West  Hartford  station. 
Same  old  platform,  same  old  station,  and  same  old  man 
Perry  with  the  same  old  coach  and  horses  were  there  to 
greet  me  and  carry  me  over  the  river  through  the  same 
old  covered  bridge  to  my  destination.  It  was  a  rude 
awakening,  but  as  I  thought  it  over  I  was  not  sorry  that 
I  was  back  to  actual  existence  and  the  present,  which, 
even  amid  the  wreck  of  ideal  idols,  is  good  enough  for  me. 
But  I  shall  still  cherish  the  fond  hope  that  the  human 
race  will  yet  enjoy  industrial  prosperity  and  that  peace 
will  prevail  to  the  end. 


